With the discovery and development of CRISPR, the technology that might allow us to modify the human germline is at our fingertips, and, consequently, serious practical and ethical consideration is warranted. In the following paper, I examine the ethics of using CRISPR in this way and argue that modifying the human germline for the purpose of preventing serious genetic disease is, in principle, ethically acceptable and ought to be allowed. I present several arguments to this effect including arguments that rely on the principles of beneficence and autonomy. I also examine the larger societal implications of human germline modification. I then respond to six of the most prominent objections that have been raised against CRISPR and germline gene modification before concluding with a brief discussion of the biggest challenge that we face as we move forward with CRISPR, that of limiting the use of this promising and incredibly versatile technology.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:liu-129820 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Yeager, Austen |
| Publisher | Linköpings universitet, Centrum för tillämpad etik |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
Page generated in 0.0025 seconds