My ethical question of the day for you guys: Some doctors theorize that we could have the ability to make children EXACTLY how we want them. Looks, height, muscle mass, bone mass, eye color, hair color, etc. could all be possible parameters you could set within as few as ten years. However, is this ethical to play with the human genome in this way? Do you have any morals against it? Do you think certain rules should be set up? Would you want to have a "designer baby"? Share your thoughts, and defend your answer. Illegitimate answers/arguments: No/yes because my mom/dad say so No/yes because it just is wrong/right Actually put forth some good answers, and really try to support your stance. Don't be neutral! Take a side. You can qualify your side to better suit your ethics, but take a side! Also, please keep religion out of this thread. FAQ/Notes: This does not affect personality. It only affects the physical. Not all genes have to be chosen. Some can be left up to the genetic roulette. You can take the stance that it's only okay if it's in the best interests of the child.
Well, the purpose of reproduction is to continue the species, and the method we do it increases genetic diversity as to not propagate a negative condition. If the technology to make designer babies existed, those two factors would still be present. What defines a person isn't their "nature" (physical form/template) but their nurture, or how they are influenced by everything around them. As long as we are in the realm of preventing genetic defects and giving your child nice hair, I believe it would be fine. However, if ever it was possible to influence a child's future thoughts, we could be in trouble. I remember watching a movie in seventh grade called Gattaca that interpreted this question. It did tend to typify the superiors as misunderstood babies and the inferiors as determined underdogs, but the theory is sound. If this technology is cheap enough to be available to only the rich, a typical dystopian situation would be created, but if it was cheap and easy for everyone, aesthetic augmentations wouldn't really hurt anything. To prevent major problems some limitations should be placed on the "schematics" of these children. Some joker can't just give his son a 12-foot codpiece, and cultures where males are considered completely superior to females would create an imbalanced ratio when the parents all want sons. I really don't want to defend genetic tailoring, but I can't think of any solid reasons to be against it besides "We've all read enough books to know where this is going..."
No Tim, I've dated an American girl when I was on Philippines and she fukcing sucked. Japanese women are the best. They're cute and doesn't have a whore personality like American party girls.
