The Science and Politics of Genetically Modified Humans
By Richard Hayes,
Worldwatch
| 07. 01. 2002
July/August 2002
The new human genetic technologies are arguably the most consequential technologies ever developed. Many applications have great potential to prevent disease and alleviate suffering, but others would open the door to a new, high-tech eugenics that could destabilize human biology and undermine the foundations of civil society.
Humanity needs a crash course in the science and politics of the new human genetic technologies. We need to distinguish benign applications from pernicious ones, and we need to adopt policies affirming the former and proscribing the latter. We need to repudiate eugenic political ideologies and deepen our commitment to the integrity of the human species and the dignity of all people. We need to do this on a global scale and within less than a decade.
Two new technologies are of critical concern: reproductive cloning and inheritable genetic modification. Reproductive cloning is the creation of a genetic near-duplicate of an existing person. If I cloned myself, would the child be my son or my twin brother? In truth, he would be neither. He would be a new category of biological...
Related Articles
By Rob Stein, NPR | 12.13.2024
Lucy Landman was born with a very rare genetic disorder that causes severe intellectual disability, weak muscles and seizures, among other symptoms.
"She is expected to very much never be able to live independently, likely never be potty trained...
By Sarojini Nadimpally and Gargi Mishra, The Wire | 12.15.2024
In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) as assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been in vogue for quite a few decades now. While IVF has been hailed as a significant scientific advancement, with many advantages, here are some limitations which bear keeping in mind...
By Staff, Reuters | 12.04.2024
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said on Wednesday it had entered into agreements with Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX.O), opens new tab and bluebird bio (BLUE.O), opens new tab to help increase patient access to their gene therapies.
The so-called...
Flag of South Africa; design by Frederick Brownell,
image by WikimediaCommons users.
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
What is the legal status of heritable human genome editing (HHGE)? In 2020, a comprehensive policy analysis by Baylis, Darnovsky, Hasson, and Krahn documented that more than 70 countries and an international treaty prohibit it, and that no country explicitly permits it. Policies in some countries were non-existent, ambiguous, or subject to possible amendment, but the general rule remained, even after one...
