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is genetic engineering ethical
is genetic engineering ethical
ethical theories on genetic engineering
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The Problem Genetic engineering has been around since the 1960’s although major experiments have not been really noticed until the 1990’s. The science comes in different forms the two major being cloning and genetic reconstruction. Cloning is the duplicating of one organism and making an exact copy. For example in 1996 the creation of the clone sheep named Dolly the first mammal to be cloned which was a great achievement. The other form, genetic reconstruction, is used to replace genes within humans to help or enhance the life of an unborn child for a medical reason or just for the preference of a parent. Before being used on humans it was used on crops to enhance the livestock to increase taste size and many other desirable traits in food to make them more enticing to consumers and to make them easier to grow in certain weather conditions and also to withstand pesticides needed to safeguard the crops. There is not any proof of the long term effects of genetic engineering. People have been worried about the effects of eating genetically engineered crops on their health and because of the concern the Organic Trade Association doesn’t allow genetically altered. It is an idea that has not been taken very seriously over the past decades and was only seen as a wildly imaginative miracle out of reach of scientists past. Now that idea has become a very real process that seems like a dream come true to the many who see it as a miracle cure, but a nightmare to those who see it as spitting on the work of God and telling him he is now obsolete in the child bearing portion of the human life. The Benefits The reconstruction of DNA has brought many cures against genetic diseases that before were undetectable. Although it is not a treatme... ... middle of paper ... ... new ways to treat other diseases like the cancer genes that soon could very well be stopped before they even start. The changes it could bring are amazing there is really no reason to stop learning more about helping to heal the human body. Works Cited Work Citations "Genetic Engineering." 123HelpMe.com. 08 May 201 . King James Version. Arizona: Thomas Nelson Bibles Inc. 1990 Leone , Nikki. “Babies by Design.” The Under Age Educational Resource Centre. The Age Education Unit. April 25 2002 Sandel, Michael. “The Case Against Perfection.” The Atlantic Monthly April 2004: Volume 293, No, 3; 51-62 Simon, Antoinette. Personal Interview. 1 May 2011. White, Ellen G. The Great Controversy. Boston: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2002
Sandel, M. J. (2004, 04). THE CASE AGAINST PERFECTION. The Atlantic Monthly,293, 50-54,56-60,62. Retrieved from
In today’s modern age science is moving at a rapid pace; one of those scientific fields that has taken the largest leaps is that of genetics. When genetics first comes to mind, many of us think of it as a type of science fiction, or a mystical dream. Yet genetics is here, it is real, and has numerous ethical implications.
Picture a young couple in a waiting room looking through a catalogue together. This catalogue is a little different from what you might expect. In this catalogue, specific traits for babies are being sold to couples to help them create the "perfect baby." This may seem like a bizarre scenario, but it may not be too far off in the future. Designing babies using genetic enhancement is an issue that is gaining more and more attention in the news. This controversial issue, once thought to be only possible in the realm of science-fiction, is causing people to discuss the moral issues surrounding genetic enhancement and germ line engineering. Though genetic research can prove beneficial to learning how to prevent hereditary diseases, the genetic enhancement of human embryos is unethical when used to create "designer babies" with enhanced appearance, athletic ability, and intelligence.
A new trend lately is Buzzfeed quizzes that vary in category. You can take a quiz that tells you what celebrity you are most alike, who you should marry, and even what your occupation or college major should be. How these quizzes work are that you are asked a bunch of random questions that make you choose between colors, traits, hobbies and food. As if a color dictates if you should be a teacher or a lawyer. It’s ridiculous. But this isn’t just happening on Buzzfeed, it is also happening in our everyday lives. People are making lists of traits, colors, and hobbies; except the results won’t necessarily be for them. But for their child and their child has not even been conceived yet. Planning for a baby shouldn’t be as easy an online quiz. It shouldn’t be up to the parents to decide the genetic makeup of their unborn child.
Over 40 years ago, two men by the names of James Watson and Francis Crick discovered deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. DNA is hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms (What is DNA?). From this finding, gene therapy evolved. Today, researchers are able to isolate certain specific genes, repair them, and use them to help cure diseases such as cystic fibrosis and hemophilia. However, as great as this sounds, there are numerous ethical and scientific issues that will arise because of religion and safety.
One of the most controversial topics discussed in the world of medicine pertained to the topic of genetic engineering. Some doctors saw it as tool of world destruction, however many of them seeing it as a chance of potential cures and treatments. Charles Darwin first introduced this idea. In his first publication, The Origin of Species, he introduced the idea of survival of the fittest. He stated that evolutionary change was only possible due to the genetic variation between each generation, including the combination of different characteristics. In other words, he wrote that only those who had desirable characteristics, in terms of survival, would be able to pass down their genes. If two bred and possessed desirable characteristics, then the desirable characteristic would strengthen, modifying the genes. Darwin’s theories have been the base of many medical breakthroughs that contributed to genetic engineering. The idea soon influenced medicine, the idea of strengthening the healthy cells and isolating them from the unhealthy ones. The simple idea Darwin discovered had changed medicine as a whole. Today, doctors and scientists are able to manipulate genes in order to create new treatments and cures. Today, Darwin’s discovery changed and saved millions of lives around the world. Despite the fact that genetic engineering can have a negative impact on society, it was an important discovery due to the advancement in conventional medicine.
Gene therapy is a technique that uses genes to treat or prevent diseases. It is the process of taking DNA from one organism and inserting it to another. No development in the field of biotechnology has inspired both greater fear and hope in human society than gene therapy. Here is the big question among the people. While this new advancement in gene therapy promotes new hopes to cure life-threatening diseases or help the amputee or physically disabled persons to lead life like a normal human, it also raises questions about morality as well as the adverse effects it may cause in the future society. In our media intensive society, thousands of newspapers and magazines, tv talk shows resound with different points of view about the morality of gene therapy. Proponents of this medical treatment argue that it promises enormous benefits for medicine as well as agriculture and industry. Yet, it has aroused considerable public concern because it is perceived by many as an unpredictable technology.
Richard Williams proposed that the issue of human freedom be re-conceptualized. Rejecting the traditional view of self-direction as the possibility of choosing among alternatives, Williams suggested that we ground our understanding of individual freedom in morality. In this view, human freedom is enhanced as one "lives truthfully." Truthful living runs counter to self-deception and thereby opens the way for greater freedom, which is fundamentally concerned with being, or existing. It is also concerned with doing or choosing, but only as such individual actions harmonize with an already existing schema of existence When the act of choosing results in self-deception, one cannot automatically assume that choice has been exercised. If deception occurs, one has merely used the freedom to choose to step out of the arena in which it exists. The Aristotelian ethics concurs with the basic tenets of Williams' philosophy.
What is specifically is genetic engineering? How does it work? Genetic engineering is the deliberate use of genetic material to manipulate characteristics in an organism. There are two different kinds; cloning and transgenic animals. There is three different kinds of cloning; therapeutic cloning, reproductive cloning, and DNA cloning. Therapeutic cloning is when the embryo is cloned and produces a whole new human embryo for scientific research. Reproductive cloning is used to create a like organism to one that previously lived. DNA cloning is the act of taking DNA from one person and putting into into a self reproducing organism. First, a scientist will take an egg from a host with defective DNA and implant the live DNA of a desired donor into the original egg and then place the newly designed egg back into the original host. The egg will then mature at a slightly quicker rate than normal maturity. Soon after, the mother will give birth to this newly created offspring. These animals are called transgenic animals. Transgenic animals can be used for scientific research for diseases, medicinal purposes, or better product. The first transgenic...
In recent discussions of genetic engineering, a controversial issue has been whether genetic engineering is ethical or not. In “The Person, the Soul, and Genetic Engineering,” JC Polkinghorne discusses about the moral status of the very early embryo and therapeutic cloning. J. H. Brooke’s article “Commentary on: The Person, the Soul, and Genetic Engineering” comments and state opinions that counter Polkinghorne’s article. On the other hand John Harris’s ““Goodbye Dolly?” The Ethics of Human Cloning” examines “the possible uses and abuses of human cloning and draw out the principal ethical dimensions, both of what might be done and its meaning, and of public and official response” (353). While in C. Cameron and R. Williamson’s article, “In the World of Dolly, When Does a Human Embryo Acquire Respect?” discusses about the debate of genetic engineering, the authors also look at several religious views of when life begins according to fertilization. Also Cameron and Williamson discuss when life begins in a “Dolly embryo” (Cameron and Williamson 218). Cameron and Williamson go into depth on when an embryo or a “Dolly embryo” acquire respect. I will argue when dealing with genetic engineering a human embryo is entitled to dignity/respect, this topic needs to be dealt with informative people, and religious groups are biased in the genetic engineering debate.
They say money makes the world go round. And so, it makes seance that there is a lot of competition for the money consumers bring to those who have something they think is worth selling. Unfortunately this also means there are those out there who seek to manipulate consumers. Most people would agree that misleading or not telling the full truth about something is the same as outright lying about it. These producers attempt to target and unethically sell to uninformed consumers.
Genetic engineering gives the power to change many aspects of nature and could result in a lot of life-saving and preventative treatments. Today, scientists have a greater understanding of genetics and its role in living organisms. However, if this power is misused, the damage could be very great. Therefore, although genetic engineering is a field that should be explored, it needs to be strictly regulated and tested before being put into widespread use. Genetic engineering has also, opened the door way to biological solutions for world problems, as well as aid for body malfunctions. I think that scientists should indeed stop making genetic engineering for humans, because it will soon prove to be devastating to the human race. It would cause rivalries and tension among different kinds of genetically engineered humans for dominance and power.
It is clear that the environment is a complex and diverse system that requires our careful attention as human beings, especially now in the 21st century, due to our great impact on it in ways never before seen. Because of the complexity and effect of the natural world on humans, and reciprocally the effect of humans on the environment, it is logical to ask about our actions in the environment. When we make decisions on this subject, we should not only observe the scientific or technological points of view on whether something can be done or not, but also consider the ethical points of view. Today a topic of debate for some years has been the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or transgenic. According to the United Nations, GMOs are organisms
To start with , genetic engineering is another term used for genetic manipulation which is a process consisting the addition of new DNA to an organism. The whole purpose of this process is to add new traits that are not already available in the organism. Genetic engineering is often mistaken with breeding which is technique that is mostly used with animals in order to create faster or stronger offspring. Genetic engineering is however different from breeding because it uses much less natural techniques that are usually performed in the lab. The big difference though in terms of genetics , is that genetic engineering allows gene modification that are not close to a certain species. For example , we can mix the DNA of a vegetable with the DNA of an animal in manipulation which is impossible by breeding. The basic idea of genetic manipulation is to isolate a certain cell’s DNA and to mix it with the DNA victor to create a whole new cell with new characteristics. The problem though behind all that, is that its really hard to predict what the results are going to be.
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.