The Pros And Cons Of Human Genetic Engineering

However, it is often challenging to differentiate between medical and cosmetic genetic engineering. A genetic defect to one may be quite normal, but to another it may be a serious medical condition. For example, if one suffers from dwarfism, some may see this as a serious medical illness. However, there are several who live with this condition who do not think they suffer at all; they simply have had to live with a different set of circumstances. They do not think that dwarfism has diminished their life in any fashion; it may have even bettered their life in some way. The line becomes increasingly blurred when one takes into account the illusive concept of “normal.” What is normal for one is entirely different than the normal for another. Ridley

There is a difference between improving an individual’s life by preventing a serious medical condition and improving an individual’s life by making them smarter or more athletic. This seems to bring up the argument of what makes a human, a human. If our personality and physical skills are what define us as a human being, why should parents have the ability at all to alter a child’s originality? Every human that has ever walked this earth has been unique in their own way and that is one aspect that makes life so special. Cosmetic genetic engineering would diminish all the uniqueness an individual would possess, thus creating a huge lack in diversity. The majority of people cherish the same traits, like tallness and being smart, so parents would likely pick those for their child. The resulting effect would lead to one homogeneous race where no one substantially stands out. Another concern that contradicts the last statement, is if the wealthy were the only individuals to have access to this technology, their children would be superior to those who are unable to receive the same treatment. Thus resulting in an even larger difference between the rich and the

Some would argue that there is more to human life than simply what can be found in our genetic makeup. Those who believe in souls or spirits would argue that point. While this argument is valid, it still does not account for the fact that there would still be a discrepancy between current humans and this new “super race.” Of course the spirit or soul would still exist, but the genetically modified would still be inherently more intelligent, athletic, and superior in every physical and mental way. If one makes the assumption that humans are defined simply by their character alone, then perhaps one could think about if character traits were genetic components. Since the question is not can this be done, but rather, should it? And even if there were no difference between this new human and the current one, the new human would run on a level that is predetermined. The uniqueness of each individual would already be preselected, leaving nothing left to develop. For those who argue that a soul exists, most believe that experience is what defines soul character. If the predetermined personality traits prevent the developing experiences, what does that do to our