Is genetic modification morally wrong?

General studies AS

Aspects of culture Samantha Leach

Since the discovery of DNA in the late 1950’s, it’s become a reality for animals and plants to be modified and enhance to the talents we think are best for it, Such as race horses or genetically modified babies. But is the reality of changing a creation going too far?

The advantages of having these modifications in this world today are medical perspectives. This is a very large argument in the present day.

For example if genetically modified babies were common it may be beneficial in many positive ways in the society. The affect on the child is that the child could have an increased life expectancy and also the lives of many children may be lengthening even more.

Genetic diseases such as Downs Syndrome would decrease; the economic saving for the NHS would be and noticeably beneficial. The quality of life for those who would have otherwise suffered the affects of the disease for which there is no prevention, may have a greater chance of having a better life in which they live. Many of the largely damaging diseases, the western society’s most common deaths, would be less common, or eliminate for good.

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Think of the advantages of disease free populations across the world. The health budget would increase and the money saved would be used for other scientific knowledge of diseases which aren’t genetically based. This would be very beneficial to the society on a whole. Upcoming parents will be able to select certain qualities in the unborn child, such as people living in China, where having a male child has many advantages both socially and economically. This may help stop abortions and mistreating children.

The disadvantages in this example of genetic modification are equally crucial as the advantages. Moral ...

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The disadvantages in this example of genetic modification are equally crucial as the advantages. Moral issues have to be focused upon because of the attention of the public, and their campaigns. This attention has bought the awareness of the media to this matter. The medical issues with altering their genetic make up, is that it may affect their child’s growth and development. This may have damaging effects, such as infertility and other limitations of the Childs life time.

I think that this modification of such as a human being may cause terrible but also helpful effects in the long term in our world. The advantage is that the decreasing amounts of genetic diseases and therefore can help other types of illnesses with the increasing health budget. Also the disadvantage of this theory is that children may not develop and grow as they should, and this modification may cause other damaging affects in later life.

But this modification is only one small part in the world of genetic modifications.

In the media, the past few years there has been discussion on GM foods and if they are good for anything or anyone to consume. There have been lots of views of the GM crop from a wide range of people, but the main view is that GM is harmful. The public view seems to get influenced by television, newspapers and radio on the issue of GM foods.

The public view is a very negative one, but I believe it is because they don’t know what a GM crop consists of. Also a majority of people don’t like the idea of GM foods for many different reasons. Some believe that the biotechnology companies are only in the business for the money and some people will only eat the products, if more testing is done on them to see if the crops are acceptable for consumption.

There is a positive view from the government; they believe that ‘if you can beat ‘em, join ‘em’. This is there approach to GM foods, because they think that we have been eating the GM products for years. This is true because sources of products across the market have shown that we have eaten food with traces of GM ingredients.

The main fact is that GM foods are not wanted in society because of the strong negative view of it. It doesn’t help when we are already eating many GM ingredients because of poorly labelled products. The public’s negative view is not really taken in because we have no choice on the matter but only people with power (the government), and their views are fairly neutral on the matter on GM foods.

I believe that the technology involved in producing genetically enhanced crops or livestock will be much too expensive for the average farmer or producer to afford. These conglomerates will effectively be able to monopolize the food market, putting small growers out of business and setting prices on what they produce, not what to mention any negative environmental affects they will create.

The problems that the biotechnology companies are trying to combat with don’t seem to be working, so they should let nature do what it’s intended to do. We’ve survived without the need of GM crops to this present day, why should we need them now?

The consequences of genetic modification in this world can be predicted that not all modifications will turn out good. I think that modifications will become a positive thing, like the designer baby, it may decrease the amount of genetic diseases, but with every good thing a bad one must come wit it.

I think that there should be some more testing to see if these modifications are long term positive factors. But this view may not be ethical because many people will disagree with what any action takes place about the modifications happening in this world. Some might see that it will help us and decrease the amount of suffering going on in our world, but other people might view that in those steps to make a better world you can harm people in the process. In both way people will disagree, but only time will tell. Therefore those people who are in power can only decide what the future of genetic modification will be for us in the future.