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Ethical issues with gene therapy
Ethical issues with gene therapy
Ethical issues with gene therapy
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John Harris in the article "Is Gene Therapy a Form of Eugenics?" says that there is no moral difference between treating dysfunction and genetic enhancement, where improvement protects life and health. Gene therapy is the treatment of diseases with the help of genes, while eugenics is the science of improving the population of people, by deducing the desired characteristics. John Harris identifies eugenics producing the best offspring. He supports eugenics in those cases when we are talking about the potential life of a child from the life of a potential disability. According to Harris, gene therapy is ethically justified, since improving the qualities will lead to the protection of the future generation. It should be noted that he believes
First, I must define what types of diseases and disabilities fall under the category of things I believe we should be able to treat with genetic therapies and why. As Goering states, “if a child needs surgery or a painful treatment to survive or to thrive, we allow ourselves room to do what is ‘best for the child’ even if that may involve unavoidable pain that the child is not able to consent to.” If we were to except this as true, then a logical conclusion would be to fix the problem through genetic therapy before a child has to go through any pain. We should save them from these gruesome experiences. Some examples that Goering lists are Tay-Sachs disease, Lesch-Nyan syndrome, and cystic fibrosis (332).
The evolution of technology has been hand in hand with the human subjugation of earth, but the question persists, when does the use of technology go too far? Advances in medical science have increased the average human lifespan and improved the quality of life for individuals. Medical science and biology are steadily arriving at new ways to alter humans by the use of advanced genetic alteration. This technology gives rise to the question of how this new technology ought to be used, if at all. The idea of human enhancement is a very general topic, since humans are constantly “enhancing” themselves through the use of tools. In referring to human enhancement, I am referring specifically to the use of genetic intervention prior to birth. Julian Savulescu, in his, “Genetic Interventions and the Ethics of Enhancement of Human Beings,” argues that it is not only permissible to intervene genetically, but is a morally obligatory. In this paper, I will argue that it is not morally obligatory to intervene genetically even if such intervention may be permissible under certain criteria. I will show, in contrast to Savulescu’s view, that the moral obligation to intervene is not the same as the moral obligation to prevent and treat disease. In short, I will show that the ability of humans to intervene genetically is not sufficient to establish a moral obligation.
If one had the ability to choose any trait in the world whether it was different colored eyes, darker hair, fuller lips etc what would one do to obtain them? Would one be willing to undergo plastic surgery? Sell One 's soul? Does it Yourself?(God forbid one would be that stupid to something by Oneself) What if one could design the perfect baby? A baby with a strong immune system, green eyes and strong? What would one do to obtain the traits one so desire with a full proof method? It most certainly will not be the cheapest but it will come with a price. one would have to be willing to take a gamble on the success rate plus the after effects. If one is willing to take a gamble then welcome onto the field of Eugenics.
Many people often ask, “Is it acceptable for human beings to manipulate human genes” (Moral and Ethical Issues in Gene Therapy). Most of the ethical issues centralize on the Christian understanding of a human being. They believe God made them the way they are and people should accept their fate.The Society, Religion and Technology Project have researched and found that countless people are curious if gene therapy is the right thing to do. They have a problem with exploiting the genes a person is born with due to the fact they consider it to be “playing God” (Moral and Ethical Issues in Gene Therapy). They are also concerned with the safety. On account of the unfamiliar and inexperienced technology. Gene therapy has only been around since 1990, so scientists are still trying to find the best possible way to help cure these diseases. Multiple scientists are cautious with whom they share their research. For the reason that if it were to get into in the wrong hands it could conceivably start a superhuman race. Author Paul Recer presumes using germline engineering to cure fatal diseases or even to generate designer babies that will be stronger, smarter, or more immune to infections (Gene Therapy Creates Super-Muscles). Scientists could enhance height, athleticism and even intelligence. The possibilities are endless. Germline engineering, however, would alter every cell in the body. People would no longer have to worry about the alarming and intimidating combinations of their parents’ genes. Genetic engineers are able to eliminate unnatural genes, change existing ones or even add a few extra. Like it or not, in a few short years scientists will have the power to control the evolution of
The history of harmful eugenic practices, spurring from the Nazi implementations of discrimination towards biologically inferior people has given eugenics a negative stigma (1,Kitcher, 190). Genetic testing, as Kitcher sees it through a minimalistic perspective, should be restrained to aiding future children with extremely low qualities of life (2,Kitcher, 190). He believes that genetic engineering should only be used to avoid disease and illness serving the role of creating a healthier human race. He promotes laissez-faire eugenics, a “hands off” concept that corresponds to three components of eugenic practice, discrimination, coercion and division of traits. It holds the underlying works of genetic testing, accurate information, open access, and freedom of choice. Laissez-faire eugenics promises to enhance reproductive freedom preventing early child death due to genetic disease (3,Kitcher, 198). However there are dangers in Laissez-faire that Kitcher wants to avoid. The first is the historical tendency of population control, eugenics can go from avoiding suffering, to catering to a set of social values that will cause the practice of genetics to become prejudiced, insensitive and superficial. The second is that prenatal testing will become limited to the upper class, leaving the lower class with fewer options, creating biologically driven social barriers. Furthermore the decay of disability support systems due to prenatal testing can lead to an increased pressure to eliminate those unfit for society (4,Kitcher, 214).
According to Walter Glannon, he argues that gene therapy must be distinguished from genetic enhancement. He states that there is a clear difference between both for the reason that gene therapy is morally acceptable if it is anticipated to ensure or restore normal functions yet it is morally prohibited if it is aimed at enriching these functions beyond the common normal. He states that his
In September 14, 1990, an operation, which is called gene therapy, was performed successfully at the National Institutes of Health in the United States. The operation was only a temporary success because many problems have emerged since then. Gene therapy is a remedy that introduces genes to target cells and replaces defective genes in order to cure the diseases which cannot be cured by traditional medicines. Although gene therapy gives someone who is born with a genetic disease or who suffers cancer a permanent chance of being cured, it is high-risk and sometimes unethical because the failure rate is extremely high and issues like how “good” and “bad” uses of gene therapy can be distinguished still haven’t been answered satisfactorily.
In the 1920s, a company in New York started a movement known as “The Eugenics Movement.” The idea of eugenics was eventually picked up by Germany, China, Peru, India and Bangladesh. The movement is still in effect till this day; however, it is not as prevalent as it once was.
The eugenics movement originally started in the late 1870s because of the idea that inferior classes, criminals, poverty, feeble-minds, and disease were hereditary and reproducing would create an unfit population in the United States. Forced sterilizations and the introduction of birth control began with the demand to wipe out populations that were constructed as inferior. The early history of the birth control pill was a form of eugenics, and was not only oppressive towards women of color but to women across the United Sates.
Since its inception, gene therapy has captured the attention of the public and ethics disciplines as a therapeutic application of human genetic engineering. The latter, in particular, has lead to concerns about germline modification and questions about the distinction between therapy and enhancement. The development of the gene therapy field and its progress to the clinic has not been without controversy. Although initially considered as a promising approach for treating the genetic of disease, the field has attracted disappointment for failing to fulfil its potential. With the resolution of many of the barriers that restricted the progress of gene therapy and increasing reports of clinical success, it is now generally recognised that earlier expectations may have been premature.
Bergeson, E. (1997) The Ethics of Gene Therapy [Online] Available at: http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~mcclean/plsc431/students/bergeson.htm [Accessed 14 July 2011]
The use of eugenics is not a guaranteed process. There is no such thing as a perfect person. Therefore, you cannot create one by only using educated, wealthy, or desirable people. The truth is, a person with all the right traits or genes could produce a mentally ill child. On the other hand, a person with a mental illness, or an undesirable trait could produce a smart, attractive, desired child. All people are born the same, the choices you make and the way you are raised make you who you are. We are all born with the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Consequently, eugenics is trying to take the right of a person to bear children away because of their place in life.
Due to the fact that the field of biotechnology is very serious and potentially dangerous, rules must be set down in order to keep the research in check. The high risk research of genetic therapy needs guidelines that have to be followed in order to keep the study just. The articles that are discussed in this essay focus on ethical issues and ideas that should be followed in the field in order to keep research safe and valid.
“We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will” (Palahniuk). Chuck Palahniuk (1990-Present) is apart of the Postmodernist era, which began in 1965 and is still going on. The Postmodernist era believed that universal truth to be idealistic and there is no worldwide view. He believed in a state of perpetual incompleteness and permanent unresolve and focused on more taboo themes such as lust, guilt, and sex.
New technological advances are being mad every day, especially in genetics. With great innovations comes concerns whether it will have a good cause or be used for bad intentions. One of these is eugenics, the idea to improve genetic composition in humans most specifically in future fetuses. The idea started in 1883 by Sir Francis Galton who wanted to selectively breed humans using desired traits to create a perfect human race. This lead to many unethical moments in history such as the sterilization of unfit humans in the 19th century as well as Hitler’s use of eugenics during WWII. However, current use helps identify possible inherited diseases/conditions in unborn children and remove those traits from the DNA. Although eugenics has been used