AbigailChristensen

Biology1010
ProfessorJessicaBerryman
23June,2014
TheEthicsofEugenics
Eugenicsisdescribedasimprovingthegeneticqualityofhumansby,eliminatingsupposedly
undesirablequalitiesorgeneticdefects(Ledwithet.al).ItisalreadypossiblethroughInVitro
Fertilization(IVF)forahumanembryotobecreatedoutsidethewomb.Advancesinsciencealready
allowustodecidethesexofababy,butitisnowpossibleforababysgenestobepredeterminedand
itsDNAaltered(Steere).Acontroversyhasariseninthemedicalcommunityoveranissuenicknamed
designerbabieswhichhasarisenfromthepossibilitiesandadvancementsofeugenicscience.The
creationofdesignerbabies,isthefearorhopethatonedaysoon,parentswillbeabletopersonally
selectcertaindesirableorwantedtraitsfortheirchildren.Peopleinsupportofthecreationofsaid
designerbabiesadvocatethatdiseasesandgeneralundesirablequalitiesinsocietycanbeeradicated
byeugenics(Velez).Otherswarn,however,thatthecreationofaperfectormanufacturedsocietyis
wrong,andwillsuppressoreliminateminoritiesandhumandiversity.
Eugenists,orpeoplewhobelieveintheneedforeugenics,arepeoplewhosupportthecreation
ofdesignerbabies.Eugenistsbelievethatselectingtraitsinouroffspringcouldpotentiallyeradicate
harmfuldiseases(Velez).Supportersofcreatingdesignerbabiesalsopointoutthatthecreationofthem
wouldallowparentstoselectdesirableorfavorabletraitsintheirchildren,suchashighintelligence,
athleticism,musicality,orevenkindness.Eugenistsdefendtheseviewsbycomparingtheirselectionof
desirableandpleasingtraitsasanyparentencouragestalentsorbehaviorsbeingdeveloped(Velez).
Manyalsosupportthecreationofdesignerbabiestobeabletoselectthesexandappearanceoftheir
baby,likewhethertheirchildistallorshort,itseyeandhaircolors,andothergenerelatedphysicalities.
Manyeugenistsalsoexplaintheirsupportofgeneselectionbyadvocatingthatthroughgeneselection,
theycanensurethattheirchildrenwouldnotbeborndeaf,blind,orwithotherwidelyperceived
physicalormentaldisadvantages.Sterilizingpeoplewithdisabilitiesorprisonrecordsisanotherformof
eugenicsthathashappenedintheUnitedStateslegallyandillegallyforyears(Campos).Thisis
controversiallysupportedasagoodreasonfortheneedofeugenicsbysomepeoplewhobelievethat
criminalactivityispassedongenetically.
Peoplewhoargueagainsteugenicsrulethathumanshavealreadymeddledenoughwithnature.
Anotherstrongpointagainstthecreationofdesignerbabiesisthebeliefthatiftheseprocedureswere
available,thepriceontheseprocedureswouldensurethatonlytherichestcoupleswouldbeableto
takeadvantageofcreatingdesignerbabies(Ledwithet.al).Othersarguewhethersupposedflaws
shouldevenbeeliminatedfromfutureoffspringinthefirstplace.Forexample,manyDeafpeopleare
veryproudoftheiridentity.Theyparticipateintheirownculturewiththeirownlanguage,andwouldnot
choosetoheariftheywereableto.Inageneralsense,opposersarguethateliminatinguniqueness
wouldleadtoafutureofcompletelyidenticalpeople.Anotherpointagainsteugenicsisthatparentswill
havehighexpectationsoftheirchildren,dependingonwhatgenestheyweregiven,andifsaidchildren
failtoliveuptotheseexpectations,thechildrenwillunfairlydisappointtheirparents.Mostdramatically,
Peoplewhoopposeeugenicsoftenarguethatwecouldirreversiblyalterthehumanspecies(Steere).To
supporttheirbeliefinpotentialabuseofgeneselection,therehasalreadyreportedlybeenabuseofthis
technologyincertaincountries,wheremalebirthshavepurposelybeenselectedoverfemaleones
(Steere).
Personally,Ifeelthateugenicsisgenerallyunethical.Icanseeapossibleuseforitinthe
eradicationofdiseases,butlittleelse.Ithinkthatmancontinuouslyrefusestorespectnatureandthe
environment,whichinmanycaseshashadextremelynegativeandharmfulconsequences.Ifamaniac
wasabletoabuseaeugenicssystem,evenifitwasregulatedbylaw,theycouldtryanderadicateentire
racesorgroupsofpeople,andsomesaythatitsimpossible,buttheyforgetwhatAdolfHitlertriedto
do.Iamwearyaswellofhowmuchtheseprocedureswouldcostiftheyweremadelegal,andthe
unfairnessofwhowouldbeallowedtoutilizethistechnology.Ibelievethatpeopleareuniqueand
wonderfulforthewaythattheyareandweshouldntgoarounddestroyingthat.Iseethesideofhow
humansareveryimperfect,butitjustisntrighttogothatfarintochangingandcreatingourowngenetic
makeup.Justbecausewecouldpossiblycontroleveryaspectofourselves,doesntmeanthatwehave
arightto,orthatweshould.

WorksCited
Campos,Paul."EugenicsAreAliveandWellIntheUnitedStates."TIME10July2013:n.pag.Web.
Ledwith,MarioMacRaeFiona."FertilityExpert'sWarningoverIVF'designerbabies'."DailyMail
5May2014:10.Web.24
Steere,Mike."Designerbabies:CreatingthePerfectChild."CNN.CableNewsNetwork,
30Oct.2008.Web.22June2014.
Velez,Mandy."TheEthicsOf'DesignerBabies'."TheHuffingtonPost.TheHuffingtonPost.com,
14Mar.2014.Web.22June2014