Designer Babies Research Paper

Should designer babies be an option on our future?

The controversial topic of designer babies has been an ongoing discussion since it was brought to the eyes of the public in the early 90’s (Aznar J. , 2008, http://www.observatoriobioetica.com) There are advantages of preventing disease, infection and disability, but will the temptation of being able to modify children’s genomes lead to a master race of blue eyes and blonde hair? In this report, the benefits and drawbacks of the issue of designer babies is discussed, along with the opposing viewpoints regarding genetic enhancement. The decision over the possibility of manipulating a child’s genetic makeup is incredibly important as it will decide the fate of many generations yet to
(Glover, J. May 2006, The Guardian) The Nazis first wanted to rid of the lower-class people and then rid of the disabled and the diseased. At the concentration camps, horrific experiments were performed in order to see if one could change the genetic makeup of another, leading to infection and death. When it comes to the concept of designer babies, have we really come that far? Or have we just made the thought of genetic engineering more palatable because we do our experimentation on cells and embryos instead of live human beings? Only in the case of human genetic enhancement, the tests are performed on people. The “failed prototypes” are people. People who have to grow up and live with the consequences of the inevitable mistakes that will be made in the process of experimenting. Assuming, of course, they can physically live with those consequences at all. From the topic of Hitler’s reign and the catastrophic results, should we not have learnt that discrimination against the disadvantaged and the use of eugenics is
"These experiments reflect the growing cultural tendency to only value human life that offers some concrete contribution to human existence. The act of choosing some lives over others entirely because of their genetic makeup is dehumanizing." (McConchie, D. May 2004. Director of public relations and public policy for The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity) A point they bring up is that we choose our friends and spouses at least partly on qualities that we find attractive, but we don’t choose our children; that’s an important moral and ethical fact about parenting. Even the most conscientious parent cannot be held wholly responsible for the child they have. (Boisvert, A M, October 2011) Using genetic engineering to design babies that meet their parents wishes is unethical, and is part of the growing problem that sociologists are finding in parents; their will to exert control over their children’s lives. Sociologists are worried that if genetic enhancement is made possible, the parents will teach their children to frown upon those who are not as advantaged and will treat them as inferior beings; because the parents must have some distaste for the middle and lower class if they wanted to design their baby in the first place. (Agar, N. 2004) What’s wrong with eugenics, is the fact of its