HLSC3711U Dystopian Novel Ethics

Dystopian novels are a popular genre, and the first dystopian novel, The Time Machine, was written by H. G. Wells. One of Wells’ main influencers was Thomas Huxley, an advocate of Darwinism and the grandfather of Aldous Huxley. Aldous Huxley wrote the novel Brave New World 88 years ago in 1932. Today, society must face a new development in science and technology that could bring us as close to the vision that Aldous Huxley had about what human beings could accomplish via reproductive health advancements. In July 2019, Canadian bioethicists spoke out against a Russian scientist who plans to use CRISPR technology to alter human embryos so that the trait of genetic deafness is eliminated. Such a proposed action sparks a discussion about societal wants and needs and calls into question whether societal values about acceptable forms of human variation are being eroded. For example, we know that human disease risk occurs because of the presence of deleterious genes, but what about the presence of beneficial genes, for example, sport genes that confer athletic talent? Begin your exploration of the topic of eugenics and technology by reading chapter 1 of Brave New World. Explore the history of eugenics by reviewing the materials in the Week 10 folder on eugenics. Watch the video on CRISPR and read the article regarding the ethics of CRISPR. The link to the news article mentioned above is: https://nationalpost.com/news/canadian-expert-speaks-out-against-russian-plan-to-edit-human-embryos-with-crispr  After giving some thought to the concept of eugenics and technology, respond to the following questions. Less than a century after Huxley wrote Brave New World, we find ourselves on the cusp of a new, but perhaps more tailored, eugenics movement.  It is possible to use CRISPR technology to produce specific health outcomes. What are the major ethical issues associated with the CRISPR gene editing tool? What kind of health outcomes might be acceptable? What kind of health outcomes might not be acceptable? What actions should be taken to ensure that a wide scale new eugenics movement never gains any traction? ***Need to think about the history of eugenics and the technological advancements that have brought us CRISPR technology. What can we do with CRISPR technology? What should we do? What should we not do? How can we prevent a movement toward a new kind of eugenics?