What Are The Ethical And Social Implications Of Genetic Engineering?

9 Pages 2130 Words

Human genetic engineering
Biological scientists have in recent years made extraordinary progress in analyzing the functions of cells and tissues and the molecules that constitute them. The most striking of these advances has been the development of recombinant DNA technology which permits the splicing together of the genes from unrelated organisms and their introduction and reproduction within living cells. These technologies are the result of many years of public investment in biological and biomedical research, much of it in pursuit of the goal of improving public health and welfare. Human genetic engineering opens up new scientific, social and medical possibilities:
a) A rapid increase in the rate of accumulation of knowledge about the genes of humans and other organisms;
b) the possibility of altering the genetic constitution of human beings (perhaps remote) and other organisms.
Some of the recent advances in molecular biology have been so startling as to awaken anxieties in the wider population. New technological capabilities have raised troublesome questions about their uses and misuses.
Ambiguities line the road ahead and there is the possibility of error on all sides. However, if science and technology are to serve the welfare and fulfillment of the broader human society, we must maintain continued discussion, dialogue and debate on all aspects of these powerful new technologies. Of special concern is the reality that the inequitable distribution of power, influence and knowledge increases the possibility of the misuse of technology.
B. Ethical and social problems and possible social controls on experimentation
Many of the social and ethical issues that arise in debates about genetic engineering have less to do with genetics than with broader questions of human good. There are, to be sure, some quite specific ethical questions about genetic practices: should certain operations be encouraged or discouraged, permitted or pr...