What´s Genetic Enhancement?

DNA are like legos, they work together to build the traits of living things. They are the building blocks of the body. Many scientists today have been figuring out different ways to manipulate, change, add, and subtract genes from the DNA in living things; this is process is called genetic engineering. Some of the living things being experimented on are live people, plants, and animals. Today scientists are debating on the morals of genetic engineering due to what the community thinks of it, because of the christian 's viewpoint of genetic engineering. To some christians it may pose a threat to their, but to others it may be a blessing or a gift. Genetic Engineering is a growing breakthrough in the science community. “Over the last 30 years, the field of genetic engineering has developed rapidly due to the greater understanding of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as the chemical double helix code from which genes are made. The term genetic engineering is used to describe the process by which the genetic makeup of an organism can be altered using “recombinant DNA technology.” This involves the use of laboratory tools to insert, alter, or cut out pieces of DNA that contain one or more genes of interest.”(Pocket K No. 17) Scientist have yet to unlock the full potential of genetic engineering, but the information and the use they have found for it today has reached farther than anyone 's expectations.

Savulescu in "Genetic Interventions and the Ethics of Enhancement" suggests that we have an obligation to enhance. His core argument can be interpreted as threefold: The right thing to do to enhance, the consistency that comes with the enhancement, and there is no difference between enhancement and treating diseases.

Picture a young couple in a waiting room looking through a catalogue together. This catalogue is a little different from what you might expect. In this catalogue, specific traits for babies are being sold to couples to help them create the "perfect baby." This may seem like a bizarre scenario, but it may not be too far off in the future. Designing babies using genetic enhancement is an issue that is gaining more and more attention in the news. This controversial issue, once thought to be only possible in the realm of science-fiction, is causing people to discuss the moral issues surrounding genetic enhancement and germ line engineering. Though genetic research can prove beneficial to learning how to prevent hereditary

The morality of genetic enhancement (GE) differs from person to person. The stance Michael J. Sandel’s takes is that eugenics and GE has no morality. He states in his work, “The case against Perfection”, that manipulating ones genes makes one less human; since, humans are not perfect which is what makes one human and by designing a perfect person one is taking away their humanity. He thinks eugenics are morally problematic in the cases of abortion; in which the mother would be free to determine if she would like to abort the baby by looking at its genes for illnesses, physical appearance and sex, this would test and even change ones moral values. Sandel is opposed on the quest of perfection due to the fact that one is not looking at the big picture, human life is a precious gift. He argues that one’s faults and quirks are what makes one unique from the other seven billion people on earth. And if one takes away what makes one who they are and becomes the perfect person there will be no originality since many would want to also become perfect. Imagine how many parents would want their child to become the next Einstein or Shakespeare. The freedom to become one’s own person would be taken away. For example, a boy that was GE to love soccer and no other sport and a boy that gets to pursue whatever he chooses, the other boy never had the opportunity or liberty to choose what sport he would like he was programed to love soccer for the rest of

Julian Savulescu wrote Genetic Interventions and the Ethics of Enhancement of Human Beings and in this article he clearly states his position on the issues as well as providing supporting and opposing sides to the matter. He starts off by explaining this issue is focused on biological enhancement and more specifically genetic enhancement. Then the thesis statement is provided, “I want to argue that, far from it’s being merely permissible, we have a moral obligation or moral reason to enhance ourselves and our

The members of the Catholic Church and many Catholics, oppose the use of embryonic stem cells because it means destroying an innocent human being at any stage in its life. Although they do not oppose the research as a whole, they believe this can further humankind and can save millions of lives. The Catholic Church does encourage scientists and other researchers to continue their experimentations with the use of other sources of stem cells, like adult stem cells, for example.

I believe that there is nothing wrong with the therapeutic gene modification when it involves somatic cells. I think that it is our moral responsibility to do what we can to help save the lives of people who are suffering. The doctors who would be proscribing the treatment have all made a hippocratic oath so it would be their moral duty to follow through on using this particular treatment. Therapeutic gene manipulation with somatic cells would break any moral, ethical, or legal laws. But the other forms of genetic manipulation are a little tricky. Therapeutic gene manipulation of germ cells can be a useful treatment of disease but its effect plays a role in a larger scope then just the patient alone. I think that it poses a greater risk to the whole of humanity of we allow changes to germ cells and future generations. It would open the door to all other types of genetic manipulation. So rules have to be put in place so no abuse of medical treatment occurs. Finally there should not be any type of enhancement gene modification occurring. I think that it will overall produce more harm then good. It is not a medical procedure that is used to help people who are suffering it would simply be a mechanism that would only play a negative role in human development, simultaneously breaking many ethical rules along the way. Genetic

Primary and Secondary sources found that Gene Enhancement had no place in the religions of Catholicism and Islam; both believe it is selfish, unnecessary and unethical. It is an embellishment to human vanity and additionally, insults human integrity when the offspring is affected by the technology. (What is the Catholic view on genetic engineering? - Mary Meets Dolly. 12/ 05/ 2014.)

There are many ways to go about the process, and while there and pros and cons to both methods, gerund therapy stands as the most controversial. Supporters argue that the practice may eventually relieve human pain and suffering as it could eliminate all kinds of diseases. Others argue that gene therapy is just a new way of humans playing god which could damage the gene pool and cause even more disorders. Still others say that even if gene therapy does become largely used, there should be certain sanctions in place to determine what gene therapy should be used for. Regardless of one’s feelings on gene therapy, genetic engineering cannot be a solution for all of the world’s problems, reminding society that people are more than their genetic

Determining if genetic engineering is morally good is only half the battle with this ethical issue. Regardless of whether morally good reasons are used to justify it, genetic engineering is an attempt to use human intelligence in order to try to overthrow God’s original creation or plan for humans. Scientist are trying to perfect his creation or change it. God has laid out the way things should happen naturally and humans are attempting to overthrow it. A key word to note is “attempt” because Scotus would see genetic engineering as a failed attempt at playing God because he believes that God is all powerful and it would be impossible for a human to possess that same type of power. In the article “Freedom Beyond Practice Reason: Duns Scotus on Will- Dependent Relations” the author Tobias Hoffmann discusses freedom of will according to Scotus. Hoffmann explains that, “for Scotus, the will is free to will any good either for its own sake alone… or for the sake of something else.” (Hoffmann 1077). God gave humans the freedom of will which allows individuals to live a life they choice. This means an individual could choice a life of virtue or a life of sin and God would not intentionally interfere in their life and force that individual to choose God’s preferred path of righteousness. God has given humans a choice, and permits them to do what they want with their own lives. Likewise, God has given humans intelligence and what humans do with their intelligence is also up to them

Genetic enhancement is a debated subject in the scientific and social communities. Some authors, such as Russell Powell, Guy Kahane, and Julian Savulescu claim that selective breeding led to the development of genetic enhancement. Selective breeding is an attempt to bring about desired traits in plants and animals; it is similar to genetic enhancement because both attempt to perfect a certain species (2012). However, selective breeding is not a desired method of genetic enhancement in humans because it relies on sexual aspects. As defined by Chris Gyngell, enhancement is the increase of specific traits (2012). Using Gyngell’s definition of enhancement, genetic enhancement can be defined as the increase of desirable traits in a human being. While scientists may perform tests on animals to assess the safety of genetic enhancements, the goal of genetic enhancement is to perfect the human species. Michael Fuchs, Chris Gyngell, Robert Sparrow, and Russell Powell, Guy Kahane, and Julian Savuescu explore the potential benefits genetic enhancement could create, such as the enhancement of intelligence or creating a more moral society, and the potential risks, such as creating generational barriers or a new species of humans, it may have on future and current generations while discussing how to explore a safe future in it (2010; 2012; 2012; 2012).

The church does not like human cloning. They say that it violates human dignity. Human embryos deserve more respect than to be just experiments. One type of cloning is just to harvest organs. It sounds good in the beginning they are “saving lives” when they are just ending one to help one. They also say it is fine if it is from an adults stem cell though.

On the most surface level, human genetic engineering and human genetic modification are a new and rapidly developing field of science that deals with directly altering the DNA (genetic makeup) of a living human cell. From early science fiction to the present day, taking control of humans’ gen es and directing the flow of evolution has been a subject of debate for many people. Human genetic engineering or HGE tends to bring up thoughts of dystopian futures where altering DNA has unexpectedly resulted in horrible mutant humans that can’t survive and thus the human race perishes, but this is not necessarily the outcome. Since genetic engineering is an emerging field of science, there are still many moral and ethical issues that need to be addressed before continuing research. Atheists and theists both have valid reasons to support / resist the continuation of this field of science. For the purpose of this paper, it will be assumed the reader has a reasonable understanding of the terms atheism, theism, DNA, genes, genome, and how a persons DNA (their genotype) essentially dictates the physical appearance and abilities that person portrays (their phenotype).

One of the biggest pictures that are against genetic engineering is that humans are not supposed to play the role of God. DNA is a unique thing to every person. Bioengineering itself involves the very technical aspects of modification, and the enhancement of stem cells or DNA and this process can change the human structure. “The progress of civilization has been having been largely dependent upon the out ‘interference with nature’.”(Encyclopedia of Applied Plant Sciences).

Genetic engineering is the characteristics of direct manipulation of an organism 's genome using biotechnology. The genetic modification process through which medical biologist and scientist subsequently alter the genetic makeup of DNA material. This scientific modification is attaining through the addition of genes or subtraction of genes within a single cell organism. The addition of genes is achieved through a carrier which can be through a virus. The addition can either be to the somatic cells or germ cells. In somatic cells, added genes alter the genetic makeup of the body while in germ cells, alteration is to the reproductive cells. Genetic modifications have been widely exercised in humans, animals, plants and