Human Flourishing in an Age of Gene Editing

Abstract

The potential use of CRISPR-Cas9 and other new gene editing technologies to alter the DNA of human beings raises a host of questions. Some questions are about safety: Can these technologies be deployed without posing an unreasonable risk of physical harm to current and future generations? Can all physical risks be adequately assessed and responsibly managed? Gene editing technologies also raise other, equally if not more difficult, questions that touch on deeply held, personal, cultural, and societal values: Might such technologies redefine what it means to be healthy, normal, or cherished? Might they undermine relationships between parents and children or exacerbate the gap between the haves and have-nots? The broadest form of this second kind of question about the impact of gene editing on values is the focus of this book: What might gene editing—and related technologies—mean for human flourishing? An interdisciplinary group of scholars asks age-old questions about the nature and well-being of humans in the context of revolutionary new biotechnology that has the potential to change the genetic makeup of both existing people and future generations. These authors aim to help readers engage in a conversation about the ethics of gene editing. It is through this conversation that citizens can influence laws and the distribution of funding for science and medicine; that professional leaders can shape understanding and use of gene editing and related technologies by scientists, patients, and practitioners; and that individuals can make decisions about their own lives and the lives of their families.