In this blog post, we will examine the ethical issues surrounding the right of parents to design their children’s genes in light of advances in genetic engineering, from the perspective of autonomy and freedom of choice.
“Is it acceptable to design children using genetic engineering?” This question may seem a little out of place at the moment, but it is one that may arise in the future if genetic engineering advances sufficiently. Some people are in favor of this, while others are against it. Those who oppose it mainly cite moral grounds. Those in favor point to the excessive early education currently imposed on children and argue that there is no difference between the excessive intervention of parents in their children’s lives today and genetic manipulation, so it should not matter. However, I disagree with this argument.
Although it is said that there is no difference from the current private education, there is a very big difference. That is the lack of choice for children. In the case of private education or early education, parents can make different choices if their children refuse. However, genetic modification cannot reflect the wishes of children at all, so the two cases cannot be considered the same.
If you oppose genetic modification in order to respect your children’s right to choose, one question may arise.
No one can choose their environment at birth. There is nothing that can be chosen while in the womb. Therefore, fetuses do not have the right to choose, or autonomy, in the first place. Is it necessary to guarantee autonomy that does not exist in the first place? The birth of a child is a product of chance. Although fetuses do not have the right to choose, genes determined by chance cannot be the same as genes determined by someone else’s intervention. Suppose there is a child who wants to be an athlete but has poor physical conditions. If this child was born without genetic modification, he or she may be dissatisfied with his or her condition, but will make various efforts to overcome it. However, if the child was born through genetic modification, the situation would be very different. The child may feel resentment toward his or her parents, which could lead to serious conflict between them.
Nowadays, young children often attend many private academies and receive English education from an early age, following their parents’ intentions. Even now, there is parental intervention in the form of early education and private education for young children, but this does not necessarily mean that genetic modification is a problem. However, such acquired intervention cannot be considered the same as congenital intervention. As mentioned earlier, acquired intervention can be modified through the child’s opinion, but congenital intervention prevents this, so the two cannot be compared on the same level.
Parental intervention is not necessarily bad, so genetic modification may be acceptable. The opinion is that there is no need to view genetic modification negatively because parents want the best for their children. No parent wants their child to turn out badly, so it seems acceptable to allow it. However, parental intervention is not necessarily for the good of the child. Parents may make the wrong choice based on their own desires, so parental intervention does not always lead to good results. Furthermore, although the choice is for the child, it is ultimately the result of the parents’ choice. Although it is a choice for the child, the child itself has no choice. This is the same as forcing the child to accept the outcome decided by the parents. If children are not seen as the property of their parents and their choices are respected, genetic modification should not be allowed.
Excessive parental intervention is problematic in that it can infringe on the autonomy of children. The same applies to excessive private education and early education. Although it is done with the belief that parental intervention will help their children’s future, it can result in hindering their autonomy. It is important to respect your children’s tendencies and abilities and help them choose their own path. The same applies to genetic modification. Parental intervention has a significant impact on their children’s lives, so such important decisions must be made with even more caution.
Parents who respect their children’s choices should avoid predetermining their children’s lives through genetic engineering. The answer to the question, “Should genetic engineering of children be allowed?” will vary depending on a person’s values. I believe that genetic engineering of children should not be allowed because it completely disregards the autonomy of the child.
One could argue that it is meaningless to oppose genetic modification because people are born by chance and therefore have no autonomy or choice from the outset. However, the results of chance and human intervention cannot be the same, so I believe a clear distinction must be made. Furthermore, parents who respect their children’s choices should refrain from genetic modification that only gives their children the results of their choices.
We do not know how genetic engineering will develop in the future, but the question we need to consider at this point is how important we consider our children’s freedom of choice and autonomy to be. The role of parents is to help their children find their own way and provide them with the necessary support in the process. Genetic modification is tantamount to parents planning their children’s lives in advance and forcing them to live according to that plan. This is a dangerous idea that treats children as the property of their parents. We must respect our children’s choices and give them the opportunity to shape their own lives. For this reason, genetic modification should not be allowed.
