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EMBRYO RESEARCH, CLONING, DESIGNER BABIES - Coggle Diagram
EMBRYO RESEARCH, CLONING, DESIGNER BABIES
UK LAW
- Liscenses only available if research is absolutely essential
- embryo must have been created in Vito((Petri dish)
- research permitted for up to 14 days, after which the embryo must be destroyed
- because some people see 14+ days as the marking of the beginning of a life
- sex selection only allowed to prevent sex-linked genetic conditions
- saviour sibling may be permitted if theres no other lmethod of saving a sick child
- condition must be life threatening
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DESIGNER BABIES
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- result of editing of DNA cells or embryos
- selection of sex on medical grounds and saviour siblings is lawful in UK
- Some would like to see this extended when scientifically possible to include selection for traits e.g intelligence
NATURAL MORAL LAW
- Creation of embryo through IVF breaches 3 primary precepts:
- Worshipping god: this responsible are 'playing God'
- Reproduction: Its wrong to separate the sexual act from the procreative act
- Living in an ordered society: Separating intercourse from procreative may pose as a threat to marriage
- At 14 days, the embryos being used must be destroyed
- this violates primary precept of preservation of innocent life
- breaches corresponding secondary precept of not murdering (and 6th commandment)
- its seen as equivalent to murder
- In NML, both the intention & outcome must be good
- the intention is good (curing disease eg)
- but the action is wrong
- Designer babies goes against 2 primary precepts:
- breaches worship of God (as god is taken out of the equation)
- breaches living in an ordered society as: may lead to race of super-humans and leads to discrimination based on wealth(designer babies = expensive)
- human life is 'imago die' so life shouldn't be tampered with
- the image of god will no longer be seen in human form
SITUATION ETHICS
- For fletcher, personhood was what granted rights
- personhood entailed possessing certain characteristics such as: self-awareness, communiaction
- the embryo is only a potential person since it doesnt possess these characteristics
- therefore embryo research, cloning & designer babies deosnt pose moral concerns
- fletcher supported all techniques, providing proper controls were in place
- he viewed humans as in control of their own reproduction- we are makers, electors and designers
- he rejected traditional belief that humanity Is created in gods image
- for him, what the agapeic calculus showed to be the most loving action in any situation was the right thing to do
- he saw the intention in many situations of these techniques as being good
- he acknowledged there was risks in genetic engineering
- but this was political rather than ethical problems
VIRTUE ETHICS
- key virtue to be considered is compassion
- a compassionate person would focus on who's lives are being ruined by infertility, illnesses & genetic disorders
- this suggests finding cures for infertility and diseases etc would be the right repsonse
- it might seem callous to not use PGD to prevent both of child with painful and life limiting genetic disorders
- Justice, and the skill of practical wisdom would be needed to enable individuals to know when the use of cloning , saviour sibling technology and designer babies would demonstrate the virtue of compassion or not
- the well being of both the saviour sibling and the sick child would need assessment
- the possible creation of a two-tier society amnd discrimination caused by the use of non-medical engineerinfmight reflect injustice