The Future of Genetic Enhancement Essay - 1090 Words

Genetic enhancement appears to be inevitable since technology is making a rapid turn towards genetic enhancement. Because of this fact, concerns over how beneficial or harmful genetic enhancement would be in the future have arisen. We, as a society, need to analyze both sides and decide for ourselves whether we should support the progression of genetic enhancement or do everything in our power to stall or halt it. Genetic enhancement refers to the use of genetic engineering to modify a person’s nonpathological human traits. This concept is aimed at improving the quality of life of humans. Baylis and Robert suggest that, using genetic enhancement, a person could make a physical alternation like increasing muscle mass or slowing down the†¦show more content†¦Benefits from genetic enhancements are widespread. These benefits are evident in physical, intellectual, psychological, and even moral enhancements. One of these benefits is undesired inherited conditions which can be eliminated through genetic enhancement. Some parents believe they should have the choice of preventing inherited diseases from being passed on from one generation to the next. Most of these parents also want to make informed reproductive choices without outside pressures (Iredale, Longley, Thomas, Shaw, 2006). With this physical enhancement, parents could get rid of all the traits they are concerned about and e nd up with healthy, disease- free children. Baylis and Robert suggest that a physical enhancement that could be considered beneficial is reducing sleep dependence (2004). A procrastinating undergraduate student who needs to study for a final or write a term paper could use this enhancement for their own benefit. Military personnel could have the opportunity to conduct more missions and with better precision if they are not sleep deprived. Surgeons would be able to perform surgeries more frequently and with greater accuracy. As a society, reducing sleep dependence would push us toward accomplishing more and greater objectives that otherwise would be impossible because of the amount of time we spend sleeping. Baylis and Robert also argue that psychological and moral enhancements could be beneficial to our society. With geneticShow MoreRelatedThe Future is Here: Genetic Enhancement Essay1762 Words   |  8 PagesThroughout history, society has always placed value on being bigger, stro nger, and faster by any means necessary to obtain these abilities. In order to obtain these abilities, society use genetic enhancements. A genetic enhancement is the use of genetic engineering to modify an individual’s biological traits; in addition, it is the alteration of genes in an individual’s body. Scientists are able to alter individual’s genotype with the purpose of choosing desired phenotype of a newborn. 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