Pros and Cons of Designer Babies- should paerents be able to design their own babies?

Designer Babies : The Promises and Perils of Genetic Engineering

To most biologists , and to philosophers and politicians also for that matter , manipulation of the germ line - the DNA that passes from parent to offspring - is the last frontier from which mankind will recoil and which must never be crossed . But how are we to prevent an eager geneticist from undertaking such experiments (Watson 2001 : 235

It is hard to deny the enormous potential advantages of genetic engineering , at least speaking strictly from a utilitarian point of view . But the rapidity with which

this science is progressing makes it difficult to assess its validity , and its dangers , as well as its usefulness . Besides , it touches some very intricate and complicated issues which are intrinsically difficult to ponder , leave alone be agreed upon . There is a growing sense , however , that with the possibilities that genetic engineering opens up , humanity is entering into very deep waters . We are sure to find some great treasures buried in these depths , and the ride that genetic engineering offers can prove to be the adventure of our lifetimes - at the same time we may find ourselves helplessly sinking , sucked into the eddying waters of this forbidden realm genetic engineering could turn out to be the costliest misadventure in the history of humanity

Genetic engineering makes it possible for us to identify the genetic factors that make some people vulnerable to certain diseases . Genetic reprogramming can ensure that these illnesses are no longer passed on from generation to generation (Rantala Milgram 1999 . Moving on from therapeutic purposes to enhancement , it will be possible to design bodies before birth in terms of both superficial characteristics such as skin color , color of hair and eyes , body type , to deeper and more crucial traits such as intelligence , memory , etc . The prospect that parents will be able to create children who are "preplanned " - designer babies endowed with high intelligence and attractive features and bodies - is becoming closer to us every year (Jori , 2002

Spinoza , the great seventeenth century philosopher and the author of Ethics , said that There is no hope unmingled with fear , and no fear unmingled with hope ' Genetic engineering offers enormous hopes - mingled with unspeakable fears . Children have always been the bringers of new hope and joy to our world . What parents do not dream that their children should be free from illness and weakness , endowed with much beauty and intelligence , displaying a slew of abilities and talents indeed , be the very best and the brightest ? Today , such dreams fail much more often than they are even partially realized . However , in the near future , by employing techniques of genetic engineering , it would be possible for parents to have the children of their dreams , by doing nothing more than selecting a particular genetic pro and ing a baby of their choice (Reiss Straughan 1996 . A child so born need not ever suffer from illness , nor ever be given to unwanted tendencies such as crime or drug addiction . Parents can...