Playing God?
The Ethics of Genetic Manipulation
Lawrence M. Hinman, Ph.D.
Co-Director
Center for Ethics in Science & Technology
Professor of Philosophy
University of San Diego
4/7/2009
©Lawrence M. Hinman
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Overview
The Ingredients of Change
• IVF
• Human Genome Project
• PGD
Resulting Ethical Issues
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•
•
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Individual liberty
Safety
Hubris
Unnaturalness
Case Studies
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in vitro Fertilization
On July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown was
born--a five-pound 12-ounce baby girl.
The first “test tube baby,” conceived through
in vitro fertilization.
Conception was detached from sex for the
first time.
For the first time, we had embryos (fertilized
eggs) existing outside the womb. What is
there moral status?
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The Human Genome Project
The completion of the
Human Genome Project
provides a scientific
foundation for genetic
screening and
manipulation. For the first
time, scientists had a map
of (most of the) human
genome.
http://www.nhgri.nih.gov/HGP/
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PGD:
Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis
The ability to test embryos for
specific genetic emerged with the
development of PCR (polymerase
chain reaction) technology, which
permitted sex screening to reduce
x-chromosome-linked diseases.
Now we can test embryos for
diseases such as cystic fibrosis,
cycle cell disease, and
Huntington’s.
We can also test for a specific kind of
dwarfism, even athletic ability.
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Resulting new possibilities
Conception takes place outside the human body, with pregnancy
becoming a planned medical process.
Embryos can be screened to decide which to implant, raising issues
about eugenics, gender imbalance, etc.
Embryos can be left over after some are implanted, which leaves us
with questions about their moral status and what should be done
with them.
Embryos can (and typically are) frozen, after which they can exist in a
suspended state for years.
• Frozen embryos can be donated for adoption to other infertile
couples.
• Frozen embryos can be objects of dispute in law suits when
couples divorce.
• Frozen embryos can be donated for use in research, especially
stem cell research.
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Arguments in support of genetic
manipulation
Utilitarian:
produces overall
a better group of
people
(eugenics).
Libertarian: a matter of
individual liberty to
decide what genetic
enhancements one
wants.
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Arguments Against Genetic Manipulation
• Too risky at this time—we simply don’t know
enough to do this safely
• Violates child’s autonomy by choosing a future
for him/her
• Leads to the commodification of human
beings—selling eggs and sperm.
• Hubris: Playing God—takes on privileged
more appropriate for God than human beings
• Unnatural
• The “giftedness” argument (Sandel)
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What Kind of Restrictions?
What regulation, if any, should apply to genetic
manipulation?
Several models:
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The free market/individual liberty model.
•
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The government regulation model.
•
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Individuals should be allowed to do whatever they want as
long as they do not infringe on the liberty of others.
Genetic manipulation should not be permitted unless
explicitly approved by the government.
The Professional regulation model.
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The oversight of genetic manipulation should be done by
professional organizations of physicians and other health
care providers.
©Lawrence M. Hinman
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Choosing Between Life Paths
Genetic manipulation is very different from abortion:
• Abortion is a matter of life or death, of deciding whether
a fetus lives or dies.
• Genetic manipulation is a matter of deciding which life
an individual may have by altering the individual’s genes;
It is a matter of which future the fetus is going to have.
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Scenarios
Here are some possible cases
about issues that can arise
through genetic manipulation.
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Scenario #1: Designer Babies
Imagine that it is possible to decide height,
skin color, hair color, eye color, sex and
other physical characteristics of a newlyconceived child.
Should parents be allowed to change these
characteristics if they choose?
Will this lead to designer babies? To
uniformity? Will this deplete the gene
pool?
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Scenario #2: Sexual Orientation, 1
Imagine that:
- Scientists have isolated the genes that predispose sexual
orientation;
- You are going to have a child;
- Tests have determined that your child will probably be gay.
Your doctor asks you: would you like us to alter the
genes that predispose toward sexual orientation so
that the child will not be gay?
Further assume that you “have nothing against gays,”
but believe that overall a gay person will face more
discrimination and suffering—all other things being
equal—than someone who is heterosexual.
What should you do? Who should be able to decide?
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Scenario #3: Sexual Orientation, 2
Imagine scenario #2 with the following changes:
- Doctors have determined that your child will have a
heterosexual orientation;
- You are gay.
If the doctor offered to alter the genes so that your child
would be gay as well, what should you do?
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Scenario #4: Dwarfism, 1
You are pregnant, and a routine test reveals that your
child has a particular gene that results in
acondroplegia, a form of dwarfism. The doctor asks
you whether you want to have the gene altered so
that the child’s height is “normal.”
What should you do?
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Scenario #5: Dwarfism, 2
Imagine the scenario is similar to that given in
#4, except that you and your spouse are both
dwarfs and the doctor tells you, after a routine
test, that your baby will be “normal” height.
A friend, aware that it may be difficult if both
parents are dwarfs and the child is not,
suggests that you ask that the child’s genes be
altered so that the child too will be a dwarf.
What should you do?
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Scenario #6: A Savior Baby
“A boy has been born to a British couple who want to use
stem cells from his umbilical cord to treat an older brother
with a life threatening blood disorder.
Michelle and Jayson Whitaker's baby, Jamie, was genetically
selected while he was still an embryo to be a near perfect
match to four-year-old Charlie.
The couple went to an American clinic for test tube baby
treatment because the selection procedure is not allowed
in the UK.”
Source:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/ethics/issues/designer_babies/
• Also see Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper
• Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go
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