In the situation where man gains the ability to pick and choose genetic traits of children (as is being worked on), do you think it would be ethical?
We could eliminate hereditary diseases, save lives. But we could also damage our species by not having awww....whats the term? genetic variability? I can't remember...
It's like when we grow corn and then when we get one kind of corn that grows really big, so we just clone that one corn. But since all the corn is the same genetically a giant plague can come and wipe it all out. Whereas in the wild since some corn would be slightly different genetically that corn would survive
Did I explain it right?
And then you've got all the jesusfreaks and religioney people who will tell scream "don't tamper with gods work!"
So? Would it be right (if we had the ability, which we might soon) to pick and choose the genetic traits of our children?
And then there's the designer baby thing, rich people who would pay to be able to specifically say,"I want to give birth to a tall, blonde male with green eyes."
In the situation where man gains the ability to pick and choose genetic traits of children (as is being worked on), do you think it would be ethical?
i dont know if its ethical or not because this definetly is a question of beliefs and or point of view. i think curing hereditary diseases is definetly a great thing and i see no reason why this would be unethical or bad.
but when it comes to purely cosmetic traits or talents you can argue well in both ways. what i know for sure that life will get really boring when we not only know the sex of the child beforehand but also what it will be good at and how it will look like.
it is a bit like cosmetic surgery. when used well, it can create good(restoring faces after accidents etc.) but it can also be used in a superfical and absolutley unnecessary way(breast implants, fake lips etc.).
people should appreciate and love their children the way they are and not try to get a child shaped as they wish.
I wouldn't recomend doing it, it seems like the kind of thing that will be abused very quickly. In a way it's the sort of thing the Nazis would have loved, being able to select whatever traits they wanted in an individual (which in a way was what they where doing). We would get rid of genetic diseases, but new ones would quickly replace them. It's just one of those things we don't need to be able to do, too easily abused and it does nothing more then serve our vanity. Let's just be happy with what and who we are and not strive for a group idea of perfection, it never works out good.
True enough, texan, that's why the entire American population will want laws to prevent this abuse. And the government will be under too much pressure. So they'll give.
actually,I dont think its at all bad,I think it cant be stopped,it is for now the "next frontier" for science. other than robotics,AI,solar cells,newater and some other alternate energy source
It's like when we grow corn and then when we get one kind of corn that grows really big, so we just clone that one corn. But since all the corn is the same genetically a giant plague can come and wipe it all out. Whereas in the wild since some corn would be slightly different genetically that corn would survive
It's a good point; but it doesn't occur to those that happen to surive & develop a resistance. Evidence for this sort of thing could be.. bacteria that develops resistance to anti-biotics. The bacteria multiplies & is all using the same genetic code, however sometimes if part of the colony is exposed to *some* antibiotics, but not enough to kill it, it can develop a resistance. Once it starts breeding, it begins to replace the bacterial strain that does not have the resistance.
So... I'm not sure. I don't think genetic research to remove defects or genetic disorders would be bad - there are so many other genetic traits & elements existing on the planet that are not dependant on 'roblems' that genetic diversity would not be an issue. That's my thought anyway.
Picking traits though - like "I want a boy" or "I want a girl" or "I want a child that will be superior in sports" or stuff like that might be bordering on unethical.
I do, however think that if genetic modification could be made as a choice for someone who is already an adult (make it easier for them to lose weight or build muscle mass, etc.) then I don't think there's anything unethical about that, as you have an informed adult making a conscious choice about their own body.
