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Genetic Enhancement In Steven Pinker's The Designer Baby Myth

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Humanity has been presented with innumerable ethical dilemmas since the beginning of our existence but one that stands out in our modern day is the subject of genetic enhancement. With the rise of genetic technology and widespread use of tampering with embryos genetic enhancement at this point seems like it is going to happen. But using genetics to alter the human condition is something that is widely debated across the globe and people fervently support both sides of the argument; should we use our knowledge of genetics to enhance humans? There seems to be a line drawn where on one side, enhancement is being used to prevent children from having diseases and on the other side, enhancement being used to enhance the rest of human capabilities. …show more content…

One article that explores just how far off genetic enhancement is from actually happening is Steven Pinker’s “The Designer Baby Myth” (2003). Within his writing, Pinker goes into how many people envision genetic enhancement to be aligned with the ‘designer baby myth’ where we will be able to pick and choose genes at will to mold and shape a child. Pinker believes that this couldn’t be further from our science of today and that this idea is anything but inevitable (p. 816). Pinker continues with points like “how can scientists try out different genes to enhance the minds of babies given that many of them could have terrible side effects?” (p. 817) This is a very serious issue that is present with current genetic enhancement research that is taking place because we do not have the knowledge regarding what each gene is really doing for us since the amount of genes and the number of interactions with each other is an extremely daunting …show more content…

Philosophy has been at the forefront of this conversation since the ancient Greeks, and well-being is something that Aristotle referred to back in his day as eudaimonia, a subject that he covers at length in his Nicomachean Ethics. When we look at the broadness of how different people see their well-being, it becomes quickly apparent that we for the most-part do not all come to a consensus when discussing what makes each one of us happy and content. One thing that most would agree on is that almost every person would qualify illness as being detrimental to one’s well-being. But can the same be said of

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As a society we are adapting, changing, and growing every day. Genetic modification is happening; many people are just not aware. Genetic engineering is great for society because it can cause many new advancements for the as in world with no diseases and a world without hunger. “There is a good case for exploring all ideas relevant to our current concerns, no matter where they lead” (Pinker 533). Although no one knows how far genetic enhancing and cloning could go makes it a dangerous idea, does not mean as a society that we ignore it.

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