Dr Heersmink

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Do you think Gene Editing is morally wrong?

-The consensus is that if you edit genes that are associated with diseases then that is not morally problematic but if you use it to make humans better than that is problematic in a moral sense

-”If in 100 years gene editing is easy and reliable it would likely cost money, so only the people who have money would be able to enhance themselves which creates an extremely big divide between poor, non genetically edited people and the rich genetically advanced people”

-”If we could edit our genes to change our personality to become more empathetic, kind and generous would we do it”

-Autonomy is making your own decisions and having your own free will which is very important

-You can’t give consent about your genes being edited because you have not been born yet

-We have separated ourselves from other species so much that the morals between animals and humans have drifted further away from each other

-We have already in a sense done gene editing with selective breeding in wolves by picking out the most social ones and breeding only them until we got the domesticated dogs we have today, would this be morally wrong in humans if we did it

-I think it is more morally wrong to inflict pain on humans then a lab rat

-Because plants can't react or feel the same that humans can that means it is fine to make edits in them

-It wouldn’t be fair to use gene editing in wars because the poorer countries would be at a disadvantage

-Everybody should have a level playing field when it comes to gene editing because if you have enhanced intelligence and another person does not how is that fair although people are already born with advantages and disadvantages over other people due to genetic diseases and being naturally tall, smart or muscular

-This would make everyone the same and nobody would be different, if we lowered everyone’s IQ then we would be able to reach the maximum capacity of what humans can do and if everyone was smart then nothing special would ever happen in terms of inventions and discoveries because we are all the same

-Also without any difference in intelligence between people it would not motivate people to become better and compete to create things as well as they are able to