RJA #10b: Argument

Argument:
+++Reason 1
--Practical-Human genetic manipulation can alleviate existing conditions for people who suffer from genetic diseases: spina bifita, autism, certain types of cancer,etc.

-less expensive therapy without potential side effects (other medications or radiation therapy)
-Ethics-utilitarian approach (maximizing happiness/minimizing suffering)

+++Reason 2
--Practical-germ line manipulation would allow children to be born without maladies which means less suffering on their part, and less expenditures on health care
-this research could allow parents to prevent their child being born with preventable diseases, but the line must be drawn at what is absolutely necessary for well-being

-Draws the line at necessary medical conditions.
-preventing engineered people for purposes that aren't medically important would disallow 'designer babies'
-could prevent diseases from being passed to subsequent generations.
-Ethical-Utilitarianism, Deontology (respects a universal maxim that all would chose to be born free of maladies)

+++Reason 3
--Practical-If we use genetic engineering too extensively, then there will be societal drawbacks:

-with cosmetic human genetic manipulation people's differences would be more scrutinized in a malevolent sense because engineered people would be 'elite' as opposed to people born with 'flaws'.
-if human genetic manipulation was limited to disease-control/prevention purposes alone, it would prevent weapons applications also
-too much genetic manipulation could cause unforeseen consequences such as DNA degeneration or mutation
-too much manipulation on traits like longevity will greatly affect the rate of population growth.
-Ethical-utilitarianism (max. happiness by preventing discrimination, etc. spurred by creating people- reference Hitler) Deontology (Preserves the humanity and individualism of an unborn person by not changing physical traits for cosmetic purposes)