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Bioethics principles issues and cases
Will genetic modification do more harm than good in the future
Bioethics principles issues and cases
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Imagine a utopian society which does not have all the health risks which are prevalent today. Continue to imagine many of the world’s problems, some of which include world hunger, sickness, and overpopulation disappear. In reality, many people are affected by these predicaments, especially children and the elderly. Without these devastating problems, premature death would become a thing of the past. There would no longer be starving children or chronically ill people. The cure to cancer and other harmful diseases can be found. There is a possible answer to all these problems which will be developed in the near future. These dilemmas may be fixed by a method known as genetic engineering, a branch of biotechnology. Biotechnology is using biology for an industry and genetic engineering is changing the characteristics of an organism by modifying its DNA. These organisms are also commonly known as a GMO, a genetically modified organism. Through this technique, more nutritious crops can be created which can benefit society. Even though in reality, this method may be hard to believe, it may be a possibility in the near future. However, many people disagree with the practices of this science and are often a target in political debates. The act of genetically modifying foods has been thought to being dangerous to peoples’ health along with decreasing biodiversity. Politics influence the research and development of biotechnology through the many differing perspectives of bioethics, the question of how to support a growing human population, the treatment of patients using controversial methods, and the economic impact is has nationally and globally. The bioethical views in politics play a key role in its advancement. Defining bioethics and ... ... middle of paper ... ...ossal benefits which can greatly increase the value of living. If worldly problems were ignored and political conflicts inflicted with the development of biotechnology were to go on, there would be devastating effects. Millions would go without food, many who died could have had the opportunity to continue living, and many would lose out on the wealth it could provide. However, if policymakers could agree on the continuation of research, many discoveries could be made that bestowed outcomes which would benefit society as a whole. It would affect families by ending early death and providing a healthier living. As a nation, there would be an improved economy and scientific advantage. Likewise, there would be a large reduction in global poverty and hunger. Overall, politics has authority over the research and development of biotechnology and its ability to aid society.
Levine, Carol. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Bioethical Issues. 7th ed. Guilford: McGraw-Hill, 1997.
Primarily, it is important to clarify Daniels’ views on the allocation of health care. As said in Lewis Vaughn’s Bioethics
With a consequentialist tone of approach, he describes human society having an imbalance between two ideals: the acceptance of oneself as a gift and the strive for perfection. The usage of technology for enhancement purposes pushes us away from the first and more towards the latter. Bioethics’ main principle revolves around the concept of morality, defined by beliefs regarding actions that are often split between being right or wrong in interpretation and character (Vaughn). Sandel upholds to this stance, confronting it with our own ideology that through the pronouncement of terms of biotechnology, we seem to accept more than reject what is brought up in the culture of society, this type of thinking reaffirming our current beliefs of the nature of controversial
Genetic engineering has been around for many years and is widely used all over the planet. Many people don’t realize that genetic engineering is part of their daily lives and diet. Today, almost 70 percent of processed foods from a grocery store were genetically engineered. Genetic engineering can be in plants, foods, animals, and even humans. Although debates about genetic engineering still exist, many people have accepted due to the health benefits of gene therapy. The lack of knowledge has always tricked people because they only focused on the negative perspective of genetic engineering and not the positive perspective. In this paper, I will be talking about how Genetic engineering is connected to Brave New World, how the history of genetic engineering impacts the world, how genetic engineering works, how people opinions are influenced, how the side effects can be devastating, how the genetic engineering can be beneficial for the society and also how the ethical issues affect people’s perspective.
What is wrong with the ivory tower? The appointment of Peter ("Death to Disabled Newborns!") Singer to the bioethics faculty at Princeton University has generated considerable controversy. Recently, University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt and Stanford University Law School professor John Donohue III created a furor with their research paper "Legalized Abortion and Crime."
The main focus of the article is not to completely oppose genetic manipulation of crops but to point out the adverse health effects these crops can possibly have on both humans and environment. The article cites
To start with, scientific breakthroughs are necessary to improve human health and longevity. With the advancements in biotechnology there comes the opportunity to cure diseases that once devastated the population which allows for a healthier generation of people. For example, many vaccinations for diseases such as H1N1 have been popular in order to avoid being caught with the virus. Vaccinations have been used for years because of their ability to prevent diseases from spreading where they normally would have infected hundreds to thousands of people otherwise. This leads not only to a healthier majority of people but also healthier children/future generations thanks to the vaccinations. Additionally, such scientific breakthroughs help improve the lives of children who are born prematurely, such as myself. Without the advanced technology that was available a...
The world has changed in various ways as humans discover technological and biological advances through the concept of modification. Ever since the beginning of time, people have been modifying the original to better suit the human nature. More specifically, scientists have come up with a method to directly manipulate the DNA of an organism to yield a more favourable characteristic. According to the University of California, the outcome of this manipulation is known to be a genetically modified organism. In reference to Natural Revolution (2014), people often assume that the nature of genetically modified organisms, GMOs, are negative and harmful to the body however, many of the uses these days are rather productive
Genetically modified food’s, or GMOs, goal is to feed the world's malnourished and undernourished population. Exploring the positive side to GMOs paints a wondrous picture for our planet’s future, although careful steps must be taken to ensure that destruction of our ecosystems do not occur. When GMOs were first introduced into the consumer market they claimed that they would help eliminate the world’s food crisis by providing plants that produced more and were resistant to elemental impacts like droughts and bacterial contaminants, however, production isn’t the only cause for the world’s food crisis. Which is a cause for concern because the population on the earth is growing and our land and ways of agriculture will not be enough to feed everyone sufficiently. No simple solutions can be found or applied when there are so many lives involved. Those who are hungry and those who are over fed, alike, have to consider the consequences of Genetically Modified Organisms. Food should not be treated like a commodity it is a human necessity on the most basic of levels. When egos, hidden agendas, and personal gains are folded into people's food sources no one wins. As in many things of life, there is no true right way or wrong way to handle either of the arguments and so many factors are involved that a ‘simple’ solution is simply not an option.
20 Feb. 2014. Nardo, Don. A. Biomedical Ethics.
Humans have been using conventional breeding methods to produce desired traits for thousands of years. Genetic engineering uses the same concepts that have been used and accepted for thousands of years, but refines the process into a more precise and faster process (Key, Ma, and Drake). The process is just as healthy as conventional breeding methods and has been approved by a multitude of government and regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Academy of Sciences (Facts on GMOs). They also have the potential to end world hunger and malnourishment through the possibility of added nutrients to biotech crops (Key, Ma, and Drake). Biotechnology has an endless amount of possible benefits and the potential to develop as long as it is accepted into society for what it is: the future.
It address the questions that are at the center of the medical field, such as what it means to be human, the role of technology in health care, and the boundaries of treatments involving advances in technology. Although human enhancement appears to have several positive affects, the negative affects are also great in number. Neither can be overlooked since this technology has the power to not only improve humanity, but also bring it to an all time low. By considering the factors that play into the outcomes of biotechnology, it is possible to answer the pressing questions at hand and to determine the circumstances in which biotechnology could result in beneficial
The field of biotechnology is absolutely huge. There is the medical area and agriculture area of development. The agriculture area concentrates on developing hybrid crops and manipulating genes so that the plants natural defenses activate. Although this is interesting and has an effect on our lives, I have chosen to concentrate on the medical aspect of biotechnology. I have also decided not to comment on the ethics of the new developments, since I believe that the reader should decide for oneself. More specifically, the concentration will be on the Human Genome Project, artificial organs, and companies that are involved in the biotech industry.
It is wise for one to be skeptical of new technology, when this technology is untested. However, if these ideas and products are then proven to be safe and beneficial, it is important to accept them, to continue the evolution and betterment of the human race. Sometimes it is hard for a society to accept a radical technological change, as is the case with genetic engineering. Despite decades of studies and implementation of genetically modified organisms without a single case of health or safety issues, environmental groups and many governments vehemently oppose genetically modified foods (Reville). This fear is based off of inaccurate science or no science at all, and is restricting the implementation of hugely beneficial technology. Extensive research into this subject has come to one conclusion. Genetically modified foods have a positive impact on society and the environment.
In general term, Genetic modification of organisms is a biotechnological process that forces genes to behave according to certain characteristics. Changing characteristics of organisms is based on changing their DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid; the acid which carries genetic information in a cell). This is being used for modifying genes in plants, animals or micro-organisms. It is being also used especially with eatables in order to improve the nutritious quality and value, make less use of chemicals such as pesticides in the growing process of food, which proved to be extremely harmful, and sometimes to add flavor. Genetically modified food (GMF) is considered as one of the modern production improvements and the largest food experiments in the world's history. However, it is very vital to dispel misconception about the nature of food. GMF is a mixed blessing with its share of benefits but at the same time may arouse problems. It has many good aspects, such as making plants ripen faster, improving the specie's taste and look good, and providing Third World countries with healthier food at affordable and reasonable rates. Genetic modification of food has won the admiration of a lot of people, including myself, because of its new and attractive accomplishments, but at the same time we should take into account its disadvantages and try to find out ways and means to avoid them. Genetically modified foo...