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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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Genetically Modified Humans, the New GMOs? Given the opportunity, would you pick and choose the traits you would like in your baby? Well, according to Ronald M. Green’s article, “Building Baby from the Genes Up,” this type of genetic modification will be an inevitable norm in the near future. In his article, Green argues that by pinpointing and tweaking the genetic culprits in the human genome we could help prevent and possibly eliminate genetic disorders. Although he acknowledges that there are risks involved; Green does not suggest any limitations for such tinkering, he even goes so far as to mention the possibility of cosmetic enhancements.

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Ignoring the development of genetic modification can cause a total chaos when so many good things can come from this process. Cloning and genetic enhancing research needs to be further expanded and brought to the

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Genetic Engineering Cons In the book Flowers For Algernon, a person by the name of Charlie Gordon has his intelligence artificially increased but is vastly unaware of the consequences, which leads to his intelligence regressing from being smart. At first, Charlie was smart, but after time his intelligecne aquired from the surgery is gone and he soon develops to stop forgetting stuff. In the beginning of the story Charlie’s IQ is 60 then after his intelligence is increase, goes to over 200 and soon back to where he started, with him also forgetting stuff, like where he lives and about the surgery. Modern sciences have lead to a possibility of the genetic engineering of the human intelligence.

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In "Building Baby from the Genes Up" by Ronald M. Green, Green expresses his view that genetically modifying humans is not necessarily a good thing for human, but that it’s not such a bad thing or inevitable. Green claims that genetic modification is beneficial to society and would help improve living. Green exclaims that genetic modification is an inevitable future and that the quality of the human population will improve. Green proposes the idea that genetic modification will improve the quality of the human population by using it with health related issues such as obesity and dyslexia and that no children will have to suffer anymore because of those problems. Knowing about our gene will give us more freedom according to Green.

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Designer babies should be allowed in our society because it will encourage to scientist get a better understanding of the human genome. Danielle Simmons,Ph.D states , “Of course, as genetic research advances, tests are continually being developed for traits and behaviors that are not related to disease. Most of these traits and behaviors are inherited as complex conditions, meaning that multiple genes and environmental, behavioral, or nutritional factors may contribute to the phenotype. Currently, available tests include those for eye color, handedness, addictive behavior, "nutritional" background, and athleticism. But does knowing whether one has the background for these non disease traits negatively affect one 's self-concept or health perception?

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Genetic enhancements are an abandonment of human giftedness and those who desire it are pursuing the disempowering concept of genetic

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Soon, other diseases will show up, “in preventing one genetic disease, you are likely to cause another genetic disease”(Source A). When the designer babies have kids, the gene’s that have been edited in their body will not be passed down to future generations. There are just so many risks to take when designing a

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Individuals may want their offspring to be enhanced with a certain intelligence level, height, or eye color. “Some genetic testing companies today even go as far as to scientifically dubious essays they claim will allow you to assess if your child has inherited genes that could lead to, for example superior athletic performance” (Kapustij). Gene enhancements should only be used if they are absolutely necessary. Also, using gene enhancements for selfish reasoning is way more expensive compared to gene editing. “One concern is that enhancements technologies are not likely, at least at the outset, to be financially within the reach of many in the population,possibly putting them at even greater disadvantage than their wealthier counterparts”(Kapustij).Not only is it costly to have gene enhancements implanted, but it could also

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Lerner, A. W. of Biotechnology. Detroit: Gale. argues that “Common public perception is that genetic screening and modification of human embryos is used to ensure offspring free of disease and composed of more desirable traits. ”(Lerner, 2012).

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"Designer Babies" is not a necessarily a new concept, but recently it has been a popular topic of conversation for many people, such as doctors, scientists, and soon-to-be parents all around the world. Whether they are for it or against it, "designer babies" seems to be coming up as a possible idea for the future. Many think that it is brilliant, but that is not really the case. Genetically editing and designing children before they are born is not a good idea due to the fact that it can lead to gender bias, children with severe birth defects, and a disturbance in the natural cycle of new life. "Designer Babies" is the idea that parents will be able to edit their children and choose their traits, before they are born.

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Genetic enhancement of humans, defined as the modification of non-pathological traits by transfer of genetic information, is a controversial issue with a broad spectrum of ethical positions. It is not difficult to imagine a future where reproductive technologies to improve the quality of the human species are routinely implemented, however there are a myriad of ethical issues that lead to different complexities, and therein answers, as to whether they should be. In this paper, I contend that even if the means of technology are available to increase the capabilities of the human mind in terms of intelligence, doing so must be done with caution and all consequential effects on the life forms that will result must be seriously considered. Reprogenetics,

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A counterargument for those who are opposed to every example of human enhancement is that all cases are unnecessary quick fixes. Since there is no way to define what makes an individual's life good or bad, a person is not guaranteed to suffer if they are born with a disease or a genetic mutation. For this reason, enhancement is unnecessary because it falsely “may foster beliefs about some people being fundamentally inferior to others,” something that history has taught us to try and avoid. (Bostrom and Roache 142). Overall health is more than a genetic makeup.

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Imagine the world free of genetic diseases, where parents could control their offspring’s height, eye color, gender, and intelligence. Well, it is a reality now with the discovery of designer babies; it’s as easy as picking something off of the menu at Pizza Hut. According to Oxford dictionary, the term “Designer babies” refers to a baby whose genetic make-up has been selected in order to eradicate a particular defect, or to ensure that a particular gene is present. The designer child has been genetically engineered in the womb with in vitro fertilization (IVF) so that we can modify his or her traits or characteristics and prevent them from developing diseases.

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An example of this is having your child have the ability to naturally be athletic, melodious, smart, etc. The topic of this paper will be the genetically modified babies.

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Science has enabled us to thrive in a world where change is a must if an organism wishes to live. It has allowed for us to bend and twist the world at our feet, even having enough strength to repel the touch of death. Genetic engineering is the next scientific advancement that will stand close in the near future. It has the capability of modifying the food production process, elimination of diseases and disorders, and the guarantation of the best traits in an organism.

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