Tuesday, 17 July 2018

For Cosmetics or with a Curative Intention?


News that the Nuffield Ethics body has ruled that genetically modifying human babies can be admissible, in some cases, has predictably generated furious debate (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jul/17/genetically-modified-babies-given-go-ahead-by-uk-ethics-body). Some people seem to believe that the ruling opens the door to a new eugenics with 'designer babies' or, at the very least, a further marginalises people with inherited disorders who have not been treated. My view is that procedures that are carefully regulated ought to be allowed (even if the new trait is genetically transferable). Where one can offer hope to people who otherwise would suffer, it would be perverse in my view, to ban the technology on the grounds that it could be misused.

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