Bioethics Summary

Today we took a hiatus from hard science to consider questions like "What is of value?" and "What should be legal?" in the context of the biotechnologies that we will dive into in subsequent sessions. One by one, we discussed the ethics of cloning, ownership of genetic information, germ-line genetic engineering, and third-trimester abortion. These topics raised issues from informed consent and nature vs. nurture to the consequences of unequal access to biotechnologies and the rights of pregnant women. Students took lead in discussion! They pointed out that if only the rich can afford "designer babies,"

then a society of rich genetic "haves" and poor genetic "have-nots" might emerge, causing wealth inequality to increase via positive feedback. Does this mean we should avoid enhancing human embryos altogether? They considered be a problem to cause a fetus pain and questioned whether the government should be able to force a woman to give birth. Questions of ethics do not have simple answers. That's why it is so important to carefully consider them when pushing the boundaries of modern science.