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Genetics and Human Malleability
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some way so as to allow abstract thinking, contemplation of good and evil,
fear of death, awe of a ‘God5? What if in our innocent attempts to improve
our genetic make-up we alter one or more of those genes? Could we test for
the alteration? Certainly not at present. If we caused a problem that would
affect the individual or his or her offspring, could we repair the damage? Cer
tainly not at present. Every parent who has several children knows that some
babies accept and give more affection than others, in the same environment.
Do genes control this? What if these genes were accidentally altered? How
would we even know if such a gene were altered?
My concern is that, at this point in the development of our culture’s sci
entific expertise, we might be like the young boy who loves to take things
apart. He is bright enough to disassemble a watch, and maybe even bright
enough to get it back together again so that it works. But what if he tries to
“improve” it? Maybe put on bigger hands so that the time can be read more
easily. But if the hands are too heavy for the mechanism, the watch will run
slowly, erratically, or not at all. The boy can understand what is visible, but
he cannot comprehend the precise engineering calculations that determined
exactly how strong each spring should be, why the gears interact in the ways
that they do, etc. Attempts on his part to improve the watch will probably
only harm it. We are now able to provide a new gene so that a property
involved in a human life would be changed, for example, a growth hormone
gene. If we were to do so simply because we could, I fear we would be like
that young boy who changed the watch’s hands. We, too, do not really
understand what makes the object we are tinkering with tick.
In summary, it could be harmful to insert a gene into humans. In somatic
cell gene therapy for an already existing disease the potential benefits could
outweigh the risks. In enhancement engineering, however, the risks would
be greater while the benefits would be considerably less clear.
Yet even aside from the medical risks, somatic cell enhancement engi
neering should not be performed because it would be morally precarious.
Let us assume that there were no medical risks at all from somatic cell
enhancement engineering. There would still be reasons for objecting to this
procedure. To illustrate, let us consider some examples. What if a human
gene were cloned that could produce a brain chemical resulting in markedly
increased memory capacity in monkeys after gene transfer? Should a person
be allowed to receive such a gene on request? Should a pubescent adolescent
whose parents are both five feet tall be provided with a growth hormone
gene on request? Should a worker who is continually exposed to an indus-
irial toxin receive a gene to give him resistance on his, or his employer’s
request?
These scenarios suggest three problems that would be difficult to resolve:
What genes should be provided; who should receive a gene; and, how to pre
vent discrimination against individuals who do or do not receive a gene.