The Problem with Genetic Enhancement

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In 1913 Teddy Roosevelt, who is considered to be one of the greatest US presidents to serve in office, wrote to the Department of Genetics, “Society has no business to permit degenerates to reproduce their kind [...]. The problem cannot be met unless we give full consideration to the immense influence of heredity....” (Dykes, 2008, p. 1). What Teddy Roosevelt was referring to was the idea of enhancing the human population. Today genetic enhancement is paired specifically with technology, but throughout history genetic enhancement has been a very popular but controversial topic. It can be dated back to ancient times when men would pick wives who the men felt would reproduce the best offspring. Then genetic enhancement became extremely popular in the 19th century when Charles Darwin brought the idea of natural selection and eugenics to society. And it is taking new leaps today, where technology is being introduced with genetic enhancement. With this new technology scientists and ethicists are having a hard time trying to find an answer of whether or not this new and growing technology of genetic enhancement should be permitted. We, society, need to analyze the situation very carefully and ask ourselves, should genetic enhancement be allowed in society, or should it not? Genetic enhancement is very similar to genetic engineering. But many ethicists feel genetic engineering is necessary, while genetic enhancement is not. GE is the process of parents choosing certain traits for their offspring (children). It starts with the parents telling the doctor what traits they would like to be implemented into their child, eye-color, height, intelligence, etc. Then the doctor would take about the embryo from the woman’s fetes and insert spe... ... middle of paper ... ...ciety. Society would be opening a Pandora’s Box by unleashing genetic enhancement. Francis Fukuyama (2004), a professor of international political economy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, urges society to consider humility when regarding genetic enhancement, “If we do not develop it (humility) soon, we may unwittingly invite the Transhumanists (GE) to deface humanity with their genetic bulldozers and psychotropic shopping malls (p. 2). How we respond to the upcoming events and policies regarding genetic enhancement in the future will forever change our lives. If we do not act accordingly society as we know it could be devalued to what Francis Fukuyama suggested. Genetic enhancement will lead to no bio-diversity and bring an end to our long and prosperous evolutionary phases. Would you want to leave this turmoil for future generations?

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