Genetic Engineering Ethics

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THE ETHICS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING A POSITION PAPER FROM THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY OFFICE OF PUBLIC POLICY AUTHOR: DAVID KOEPSELL, J.D., Ph.D., REVIEWING COMMITTEE: PAUL KURTZ, Ph.D., AUSTIN DACEY, Ph.D., RONALD A. LINDSAY, J.D., Ph.D., RUTH MITCHELL, Ph.D., JOHN SHOOK, Ph.D., TONI VAN PELT DATED: AUGUST, 2007 Copyright © 2007 Center for Inquiry, Inc. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for noncommercial, educational purposes, provided that this notice appears on the reproduced materials, the full authoritative version is retained, and copies are not altered. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the Center for Inquiry, Inc. THE ETHICS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING Just as the twentieth century was a golden age of computing, the twenty-first century is the DNA age. The silicon age brought about dramatic changes in how we as a species work, think, communicate, and play. The innovations of the computer revolution helped bring about the current genetic revolution, which promises to do for life what computing did for information. We are on the verge of being able to transform, manipulate, and create organisms for any number of productive purposes. From medicine, to agriculture, to construction and even computing, we are within reach of an age when manipulating the genetic codes of various organisms, or engineering entirely new organisms, promises to alter the way we relate to the natural world. Biotechnology, specifically genetic engineering, is already a beneficial resource, employed in medicine, manufacturing, and agriculture. We have begun reaping the practical rewards of genetic engineering such as new medical therapies and increased crop yields and so far only a few instances of measurable harm have resulted. Genetic engineering has the potential to improve our health and well-being dramatically,

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