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 system, 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 other 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 choices, 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 a fetus has no choice, genes determined by chance cannot be the same as genes determined by someone’s intervention. Suppose there is a child who wants to become 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 conditions but will make various efforts to overcome them. 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 after-school classes 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 and congenital intervention cannot be the same. 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, even if the choice is made for the child, it is ultimately the result of the parents’ choice. Although the choice is made for the child, the child has no choice in the matter. This is the same as forcing the child to accept the result decided by the parents. If children are not viewed 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 is true for excessive private education and early education. Although parental intervention is carried out with the belief that it will help their children’s future, it can result in hindering their autonomy. It is important to respect the tendencies and abilities of children and help them choose their own path. The same is true for genetic modification. The impact of parental intervention on a child’s life is enormous, so such important decisions must be made with great care. Parents who respect their children’s choices should avoid predetermining their children’s lives through genetic modification.
The answer to the question, “Should genetic modification of children be allowed?” will vary depending on a person’s values. I believe that genetic modification of children should not be allowed because it completely disregards their autonomy. One could argue that it is meaningless to oppose genetic modification because people are born by chance and therefore have no autonomy or choice in the first place. However, I believe that a clear distinction must be made between the product of chance and the result of someone’s intervention. Furthermore, parents who respect their children’s choices should refrain from genetic engineering, which only gives 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 choices 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.
