Should We Strive for Perfection? The Ethics of Human Genetic Engineering

Abstract

Genetic engineering. What sorts of images does this term conjure? Is it mad scientists slaving over a microscope to develop the perfect being? Is it an assembly line of test tubes filled with chemicals which are later to become citizens of a Brave New World? Or is it a vision of a society free from evils such as disease, depression, and crime? In the future some of these "far-fetched" ideas may become realities, but today "genetic engineering" has a different meaning. Today, “genetic engineering” means the modification of the DNA of an organism or the replacement of one gene by another. This replacement can come about in many ways including selective breeding and direct manipulation of the gene. In this thesis, the focus will be on direct manipulation of the genes.