Op-Ed: The Ethics of Designer Children

April 11, 2008

The ethics of this new technology has – as is traditionally been the case – lagged behind the scientific capability. Despite the engagement of prominent intellectuals—Jurgen Habermas, probably the most important living Continental philosopher wrote a short tract on it a few years ago (The Future of Human Nature), and now so has Michael Sandel—a truly public debate has not materialized, aside from brief flashes over Dolly the sheep and stem-cell research.

In his discussion, Sandel brings up several fundamental issues: the role and importance of choice as such, the distinction between medical treatment and enhancement, and perfection of species as such. These slippery topics will hopefully make the following discussion more interesting. (IEET)