On the Ethical Issues of Gene-enhancement in Different Stages of Human Development

Jingtao Jiang

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12

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On the Ethical Issues of Gene-enhancement in Different Stages of Human Development

Jingtao Jiang

Published in Advances in Sciences and Humanities (Volume 7, Issue 2)

Received: 14 April 2021 Accepted: 28 April 2021 Published: 14 May 2021

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Abstract

The ethics of human enhancement technology are highly controversial. The purpose of this paper is to provide an ethical justification for the genetic enhancement technology and then extend it to the ethical feasibility of other human enhancement technologies. According to the customs of most countries in the world, the age of 18 is generally regarded as the threshold of adulthood. Non-adults under 18 can be divided into the embryonic period from the fertilized egg to the eighth week and the growing period from the ninth week to the age of 18. Genetic enhancement in embryonic period has been criticized by a series of ethical charges with "germline change" as the core. Although genetic enhancement in the growing period avoids the critical opinion of "germline change", it is still criticized by a series of ethical charges with "human-nature change" as the core. Genetic enhancement in the adulthood will successfully avoid the two fatal charges of “germline change” and “human-nature change”, while responding well to other ethical charges. The conclusion of this paper is that adult gene enhancement is ethically feasible, and further application of other adult human enhancement techniques is also ethically feasible.

Published in	Advances in Sciences and Humanities (Volume 7, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12
Page(s)	19-24
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Genetic Enhancement, Embryonic Period, Growing Period, Adulthood

References

[1]	Kate Williams; Martin H Johnson. Adapting the 14-day rule for embryo research to encompass evolving technologies. [J]. Reproductive biomedicine & society online. 2020: 1-9.
[2]	Savulescu, Julian. An ethical pathway for gene editing. [J]. Bioethics. 2019, Vol. 33 (No. 2): 221-222.
[3]	Paul Knoepfler. GMO Sapiens: The Life-Changing Science of Designer Babies [M]. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, 2015.
[4]	Gyngell C, Douglas T, Savulescu J. The Ethics of Germline Gene Editing [J]. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 2016 (4): 1-16.
[5]	Hauskeller, Michael. Better Humans? Understanding the Enhancement Project [M]. New York: Routledge. 2014.
[6]	Isasi R, Kleiderman E, Knoppers BM. Genetic technology regulation. Editing policy to fit the genome? [J]. Science, 2016 (351): 337-339.
[7]	David Baltimore, Paul Berg, Michael Botchan. A prudent path forward for genomic engineering and germ-line gene modification [J]. Science, 2015 (348): 36–38.
[8]	Juengst E. T. What Does Enhancement Mean? [C]. in E. Parens (ed.). Enhancing Human Traits: Ethical and Social Implications. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press, 1998: 29—47.
[9]	Sandel M, The case against perfection [M]. Cambridge, M. A: Harvard University Press, 2009: 85-90.
[10]	Ronald Dworkin. Playing God: Genes, Clones, and Luck [C]. in Ronald Dworkin (ed.). Sovereign Virtue: The Theory and Practice of Equality. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000: 439.
[11]	Kelly E, et al. Human Germline Genome Editing [J]. American Journal of Human Genetics, 2017 (101): 167-176.
[12]	Benjamin Capps, ed al. Falling giants and the rise of gene editing: ethics, private interests and the public good. [J]. Hum Genomics, 2017 (1): 20.
[13]	The Center for Genetics and Society. Public interest group calls for strengthening global policies against human germline modification’ [online]. https://www.geneticsandsociety.org/press-statement/public-interest-group-calls-strengthening-global-policies-against-human-germline?id=8528.
[14]	Fukuyama F. Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution [M]. New York NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. 2002: 14-152.
[15]	Jingtao Jiang. A Naturalistic Approach of Human Enhancement Ethics. Science, Technology & Public Policy. Vol. 4, No. 2, 2020, pp. 54-59.

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Jingtao Jiang. (2021). On the Ethical Issues of Gene-enhancement in Different Stages of Human Development. Advances in Sciences and Humanities, 7(2), 19-24. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12

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ACS Style

Jingtao Jiang. On the Ethical Issues of Gene-enhancement in Different Stages of Human Development. Adv. Sci. Humanit. 2021, 7(2), 19-24. doi: 10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12

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AMA Style

Jingtao Jiang. On the Ethical Issues of Gene-enhancement in Different Stages of Human Development. Adv Sci Humanit. 2021;7(2):19-24. doi: 10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12,
  author = {Jingtao Jiang},
  title = {On the Ethical Issues of Gene-enhancement in Different Stages of Human Development},
  journal = {Advances in Sciences and Humanities},
  volume = {7},
  number = {2},
  pages = {19-24},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ash.20210702.12},
  abstract = {The ethics of human enhancement technology are highly controversial. The purpose of this paper is to provide an ethical justification for the genetic enhancement technology and then extend it to the ethical feasibility of other human enhancement technologies. According to the customs of most countries in the world, the age of 18 is generally regarded as the threshold of adulthood. Non-adults under 18 can be divided into the embryonic period from the fertilized egg to the eighth week and the growing period from the ninth week to the age of 18. Genetic enhancement in embryonic period has been criticized by a series of ethical charges with "germline change" as the core. Although genetic enhancement in the growing period avoids the critical opinion of "germline change", it is still criticized by a series of ethical charges with "human-nature change" as the core. Genetic enhancement in the adulthood will successfully avoid the two fatal charges of “germline change” and “human-nature change”, while responding well to other ethical charges. The conclusion of this paper is that adult gene enhancement is ethically feasible, and further application of other adult human enhancement techniques is also ethically feasible.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - On the Ethical Issues of Gene-enhancement in Different Stages of Human Development
AU  - Jingtao Jiang
Y1  - 2021/05/14
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12
T2  - Advances in Sciences and Humanities
JF  - Advances in Sciences and Humanities
JO  - Advances in Sciences and Humanities
SP  - 19
EP  - 24
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-0984
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12
AB  - The ethics of human enhancement technology are highly controversial. The purpose of this paper is to provide an ethical justification for the genetic enhancement technology and then extend it to the ethical feasibility of other human enhancement technologies. According to the customs of most countries in the world, the age of 18 is generally regarded as the threshold of adulthood. Non-adults under 18 can be divided into the embryonic period from the fertilized egg to the eighth week and the growing period from the ninth week to the age of 18. Genetic enhancement in embryonic period has been criticized by a series of ethical charges with "germline change" as the core. Although genetic enhancement in the growing period avoids the critical opinion of "germline change", it is still criticized by a series of ethical charges with "human-nature change" as the core. Genetic enhancement in the adulthood will successfully avoid the two fatal charges of “germline change” and “human-nature change”, while responding well to other ethical charges. The conclusion of this paper is that adult gene enhancement is ethically feasible, and further application of other adult human enhancement techniques is also ethically feasible.
VL  - 7
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Jingtao Jiang

Research Centre of Medical Humanities, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

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APA Style

Jingtao Jiang. (2021). On the Ethical Issues of Gene-enhancement in Different Stages of Human Development. Advances in Sciences and Humanities, 7(2), 19-24. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12

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ACS Style

Jingtao Jiang. On the Ethical Issues of Gene-enhancement in Different Stages of Human Development. Adv. Sci. Humanit. 2021, 7(2), 19-24. doi: 10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12

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AMA Style

Jingtao Jiang. On the Ethical Issues of Gene-enhancement in Different Stages of Human Development. Adv Sci Humanit. 2021;7(2):19-24. doi: 10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12,
  author = {Jingtao Jiang},
  title = {On the Ethical Issues of Gene-enhancement in Different Stages of Human Development},
  journal = {Advances in Sciences and Humanities},
  volume = {7},
  number = {2},
  pages = {19-24},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ash.20210702.12},
  abstract = {The ethics of human enhancement technology are highly controversial. The purpose of this paper is to provide an ethical justification for the genetic enhancement technology and then extend it to the ethical feasibility of other human enhancement technologies. According to the customs of most countries in the world, the age of 18 is generally regarded as the threshold of adulthood. Non-adults under 18 can be divided into the embryonic period from the fertilized egg to the eighth week and the growing period from the ninth week to the age of 18. Genetic enhancement in embryonic period has been criticized by a series of ethical charges with "germline change" as the core. Although genetic enhancement in the growing period avoids the critical opinion of "germline change", it is still criticized by a series of ethical charges with "human-nature change" as the core. Genetic enhancement in the adulthood will successfully avoid the two fatal charges of “germline change” and “human-nature change”, while responding well to other ethical charges. The conclusion of this paper is that adult gene enhancement is ethically feasible, and further application of other adult human enhancement techniques is also ethically feasible.},
 year = {2021}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - On the Ethical Issues of Gene-enhancement in Different Stages of Human Development
AU  - Jingtao Jiang
Y1  - 2021/05/14
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12
T2  - Advances in Sciences and Humanities
JF  - Advances in Sciences and Humanities
JO  - Advances in Sciences and Humanities
SP  - 19
EP  - 24
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-0984
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20210702.12
AB  - The ethics of human enhancement technology are highly controversial. The purpose of this paper is to provide an ethical justification for the genetic enhancement technology and then extend it to the ethical feasibility of other human enhancement technologies. According to the customs of most countries in the world, the age of 18 is generally regarded as the threshold of adulthood. Non-adults under 18 can be divided into the embryonic period from the fertilized egg to the eighth week and the growing period from the ninth week to the age of 18. Genetic enhancement in embryonic period has been criticized by a series of ethical charges with "germline change" as the core. Although genetic enhancement in the growing period avoids the critical opinion of "germline change", it is still criticized by a series of ethical charges with "human-nature change" as the core. Genetic enhancement in the adulthood will successfully avoid the two fatal charges of “germline change” and “human-nature change”, while responding well to other ethical charges. The conclusion of this paper is that adult gene enhancement is ethically feasible, and further application of other adult human enhancement techniques is also ethically feasible.
VL  - 7
IS  - 2
ER  -

Copy | Download