Morality In Michael Sandel's The Case Against Perfection

With the progression of modern biotechnology, there is much contentious debate affecting ongoing developmental affairs. Controversy aligns itself with cautious thoughts on the appropriate amount of enhancement that can be applied before it undermines the “gifted character of human power and achievement (Sandel).” Michael Sandel, author of The Case Against Perfection argues through political discourse that the passion to master all of the science dominion through the use of such technology is largely flawed by our interpretations of perfection.

Sandel addresses these views that us as humans have come to acknowledge as our own through bioethical debate. “We live in a world today where ‘science moves faster than moral understanding,’(Lewens)”

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

With Dolly, scientists were able to clone her, but she only lived half the age as her mother. Yet, the root was determined, and further studies showed great promise, all with the usage of biotechnology with no immoral harm done to the animals that were utilized for the procedures, without the violation of any rights, such as the right to autonomy. While an opposer to genetic enhancements may say this right is violated because the individual’s future is no longer open, but is it really predetermined? For a parent to choose their child’s genetic makeup, it can be related to easily with a parent to withhold a child’s right to pursuing one thing over another, career-wise or