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Research Question: Should gene editing practices be widespread throughout the world?

Title: Rational Choice

Ebubekir Kurnaz

ENG 102-8

August 10, 2023

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The world has changed and developed a lot thanks to humanity. Besides the world,
humanity has also developed itself and opened new doors to extend or exceed its limits via
human enhancements. Allen Buchanan, who is a professor at Duke University, defines
human enhancement by stating “Human enhancement is the natural, artificial, or
technological alteration of the human body in order to enhance physical or mental
capabilities.”1 One of the popular human enhancement tools is gene editing used to thrive.
Gene editing is a precise and targeted technique in biotechnology that involves modifying the
DNA sequence of an organism. It allows scientists to add, delete, or alter specific genes, and
conduct research to understand gene functions better. Experts, scientists, and researchers have
done a lot of research on gene editing and its practices. The concept of human enhancement
and its technologies are quite crucial for individuals, society, and humanity as a whole.
People have to benefit from human enhancement technologies to adapt to the developing and
changing world to survive. Hence, gene editing should be widespread throughout the world
because the advantages of gene editing outweigh its disadvantages. Even though gene
editing practices may lead to some negative consequences and ethical concerns, it provides
humanity with health advantages, super features and cost benefits.
Gene editing ought to become prevalent since it provides people with remarkable health
advantages. Health is regarded as the most important thing for a human’s finite life.
Therefore, people try to maintain a good health by paying attention to doing sports, drinking
enough water, and avoiding bad habits like cigarettes and alcohol. Nevertheless, these
attempts do not always work if genetic factors play a role in a person’s health condition. It is
because people might have trouble with a weak immune system or some disabilities and
deadly disorders which come with genetic glitch. Unfortunately, these people have to put up
with mostly incurable genetic diseases throughout their life if their genes are not fixed.
Check Hayden, who is an American science Journalist and the director of the Science
Communication Program (SciCom), demonstrates how the circumstances can go in a bad
way if a person is affected by his or her gene glitches. She illustrates “John Sabine, who was
once described as one of the brightest legal minds of his generation in England, is now in the
1
Buchanan, quoted in Wikipedia, “Human Enhancement.”
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advanced stages of Huntington’s disease (cannot walk or talk and requires constant care), and
his brother carries the same genetic glitch.”2 However, if the genes of people having genetic
disorders are edited by using gene editing practices, this kind of genetic diseases, and
disorders can be easily eliminated. Gene editing has numerous practices, and tools, one of
which is CRISPR-Cas9. Redman et al. are known for especially their medical research on
gene editing technologies in the U.K. She and her colleagues define CRISPR-Cas9 [Clustered
Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats] as a useful technique which enables people
to correct gene glitches or alter them in a more reliable, accurate way by using the enzyme
Cas9.3 CRISPR-Cas9 is a well-known and commonly used technique of gene editing due to
its high precision. Bonginkosi Shozi, who is known for his research on biotechnological
innovations at the University of California, provides a different perspective on gene
editing tools. Shozi points out the benefits of CRISPR-Cas9 for humans’ health by
stating “CRISPR-Cas9 has shown a great deal of promise as a possible means for curing
previously incurable, debilitating genetic diseases such as Huntington’s chorea, Tay sacs
disease, and cancer.”4 These diseases, especially cancer, have caused millions of deaths
around the world but if gene editing were prevalent, fewer people would suffer from the
diseases or even die thanks to gene editing practices. Hence, gene editing tools should be
widespread so that more people are saved or cured. In this way, people are born without any
diseases, disorders or disabilities thanks to gene editing. Gene editing practices help people
not only antenatally but also postnatally. Organ transplantation is one of the most popular
gene editing practices, which enables humanity to use animals’ organs for people’s needs.
With gene editing tools, animal organs become appropriate to be used for people by
modifying their genes. As a result of gene editing practices, people acquire remarkable
breakthroughs in the health domain. Therefore, gene editing should be prevalent all around
the world.
Another important advantage of gene editing is providing humanity with extraordinary
super features. People can obtain some super features like superheroes thanks to gene
editing technologies. According to Wood, who is the co-founder and current leader of
2
Check Hayden, “Should You Edit Your Children’s Genes?” 3.
3
Redman et al., “What is CRISPR/Cas9?”
4
Shozi, "A Critical Review of The Ethical and Legal Issues in Human Germline Gene Editing: Considering Human
Rights and A Call for An African Perspective," 62.
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Transhumanist UK, there is “a trio of broad pursuit super-longevity, super-intelligence, and

super-happiness.”5 Although this seems impossible, the world’s first genetically modified
twins were born in 2018, in China by using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. As technology has
changed, more developments will be experienced in the gene editing domain. A lot of
research on gene editing has been done by well-known universities and institutions like
Harvard, MIT, Oxford, and so on. Almost all scientists working in this domain believe that
humanity will have started to take advantage of the super feature which gene editing provides
by 2030. Gene editing helps humans to exceed their limits by the means of super features. In
this way, humanity will reach a different era, and people’s lives become easier in
many ways. Paul Knoepfler, who is a biomedical scientist and writer focusing on stem cells
and genetics, gives an example in his TED Talk to show the advantages of having genetically
modified genes by comparing Marianne having natural genes and Jenna having genetically
modified genes. Knoepfler wants to emphasize “Jenna, who is the genetically modified girl,
is incredibly intelligent, beautiful, tall, athletic, and so on thanks to CRISPR.”6 If people are
developed in every aspect via gene editing like Jenna, societies will be better off. Even
though all these features are beneficial for people in numerous ways, super-intelligence can
especially affect every part of human life. As Hofmann, a Norwegian researcher whose
main subjects in the philosophy of medicine, states, “People with a high IQ have better jobs,
eat healthier, are less superstitious, and are less likely to be either violent or the victims of
violence.”7 With the super-intelligence feature which gene editing provides, people’s
awareness and consciousness increase, and people build a more peaceful and organized
society and the world. Besides societies, betterment also occurs in individual terms. Almedia
and Diogo assert “With the new technologies (e. g. biotechnology, information technology,
and nanotechnology) people will soon be able to control and fundamentally change their own
bodies.”8 People can change their bodies to increase the capacity of a body part or add some
new body parts like wings via gene editing technologies. As Hugh Herr, who is an MIT
professor having prosthesis legs, claims, “Humans will extend their bodies via non-

5
Wood, quoted in Wilson, "We Need to Talk About Transhumanism," 2.
6
Knoepfler, "The Ethical Dilemma of Designer Babies," TED Talk.
7
Hofmann, “Limits to Human Enhancement: Nature, Disease, Therapy or Betterment?” 7.
8
Almedio& Diogo, 185.
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anthropomorphic structures.”9 Herr also briefly mentions his friend having cyborg legs which
give people a sense of movement like natural legs while prostheses cannot provide the sense.
People will add body structures to themselves to gain more features for humanity by
benefiting from cyborgs. In this way, people will have been able to do many things that
humanity cannot do before like flying thanks to gene editing. With the extended human
capacity and mind, innovation, and creativity increase. If people come up with unique and
new ideas to enhance by using their creativity, numerous new innovations make the world a
place where living is easier. Hence, gene editing should become widespread due to the super
features it gives so that people can live in an easier and more developing way by exceeding
their limits by the means of gene editing.
In addition to health and super feature advantages, gene editing practices are profitable in
numerous ways. Even though gene editing technologies are known as costly but it provides
remarkable profit in the long run. Many people in the world, especially in Turkiye and the
United States, spend a lot of money on health services. According to TUIK, which is a
statistical institution in Turkiye, almost 354 billion Turkish liras are allocated for health
expenditures in 2021 and also the health expenditure per person increases steadily from
2012 to 2021.10 Nonetheless, with gene editing technologies, decreasing the health
expenditures is possible since the use of every kind of medicine decreases thanks to the
health benefits gene editing provides. Additionally, targeted medicine can be developed for
patients by detecting and altering their genes to increase the effectiveness of medicines. In
this way, patients heal by using less medicine thanks to more impactful medicines.
Knoepfler illustrates the cost benefits of gene editing for health services by claiming “Jenna,
who is a genetically modified girl. is healthier, than other generations, and her parents spend
less money on Jenna‘s health expenditures.“11 If people have stronger immune system for
almost every kind of disease such as HIV, AIDS and Covid19 and so on, they do not have to
pay any money for medicine or treatment, which means less health expenditures. Moreover,
costs mean not merely money but also environmental costs like social costs evaluated in
economic terms. Gene editing has positive effects on environmental costs. One of the positive

9
Herr, "How We'll Become Cyborgs and Extend Human Potential," TED Talk.
10
TUIK, ”Health Expenditure Statistics, 2021.”
11
Knoepfler.
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effects on the environment is decreasing biological and radiological disposes caused by

health services. With the decrease in the use of medicines and health services, the harm of
chemical, radiological and biological substances used for medicine on the environment
decreases. Another positive influence of gene editing on the environment is helping nature to
protect or at least maintain its balance by controlling particular species. Some endangered
species can be saved and controlled or even extinct species can be revived via gene editing
technologies. As Savulescu, who is a professor focusing especially on the ethical part of gene
editing at Oxford University, asserts, “genetic testing, artificial reproduction, and cloning are
routinely used” for species, especially for animals.12 As a result of protecting endangered
species, the species eating them to survive will be saved and the species that endangered
species consume will not harm the environment by invading. Invasive species harming the
food chain can also be controlled and restricted by altering their genes. In this way, the
balance of nature is protected and environmental costs decrease or at least remain at the same
level thanks to gene editing tools.
Although gene editing technologies provide people with a lot of advantages such as
health benefits, super features and cost advantages, it can bring about some negative
consequences. One of the issues which can be caused by gene editing is the uncertainty of
the future of gene editing. Almedia and Diogo state “Increasingly new evidence indicates a
greater interdependence between humans and their environments (including other
microorganisms), indicating that modifying the environment can have direct and
unpredictable consequences on humans as well.”13 Even though a lot of research has been
done, there is always something that remains unclear. Savulescu also points out “it [the
attempt of improving human capacity] would be to harm them [people] if we gave them a
toxic substance that stunted or reduced these capacities.“14 Scientists do not have enough
information about the side effects of gene editing because gene editing practices are not
widespread. Because of insufficient information, the uncertainties about the side effects of
gene editing make people scared. However, experts can predict some negative results of gene
editing like overpopulation problems and loss of genetic diversity. Undoubtedly, with the

12
Savulescu, "New Breeds of Humans: The Moral Obligation to Enhance," 36.
13
Almedia& Diogo, 187.
14
Savulescu, 38.
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super-longevity feature gene editing provides, the population throughout the world
increases. As Almedia and Diogo say, “In environmental terms, enhancing the longevity of
humans could contribute to a massive increase in global population, creating
additional pressure on ecosystems already under human pressure.”15 Overpopulation can
cause insufficient services, and infrastructure problems and make people‘s life harder.
Another prospective negative consequence of gene editing is the loss of genetic diversity
because gene editing can eliminate the differences among people. Padden, who is a
genetically deaf person, argued that people with their disabilities and abnormalities make
society and human being unique but if the differences are eliminated, “humans might lose
something important.”16 Every person has unique biological features but if they are
eliminated by gene modification, the similarity from generation to generation increases, and
genetic diversity decreases. However, all these issues such as the uncertainty of side effects,
overpopulation, and the loss of genetic diversity can be solved by following accurate steps.
For instance, governments can implement strict regulations for the gene editing process to
monitor and report the process thoroughly to observe whether there is something wrong or
not. Additionally, governments or states can establish a committee examining and detecting
gene editing research to improve the precision to prevent uncertainty and disorganization of
the gene editing processes and research. Even if only these steps are followed, the issues that
gene editing causes can be easily overcome, and besides the advantages of gene editing, the
easily solvable problems become dismissive.
Another problem of gene editing is causing some ethical concerns. Gene editing can lead
to severe and controversial ethical issues like inequality and the right of the fetus or embryo.
Although gene editing provides people with numerous cost advantages in the long run, it
can be costly in the short run. Therefore, it can bring about inequality at first because as
Hofmann claims, “There are not enough sources available for human enhancement for all,
and to focus on human enhancement under such conditions can enhance disparity and
injustice.”17 As a result of this circumstance, merely affluent people can benefit from the
advantages of gene editing while other people who cannot afford are destitute of them. The

15
Almedia & Diogo, 184.
16
Padden, quoted in Check Hayden, 5.
17
Hofmann, 2.
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societies can be distinguished by people‘s economic conditions and extra abilities. Not only
society and individuals, but inequality also occurs among countries since every country does
not have the same economic and technological conditions. Shozi demonstrates this by
comparing Western countries and South Africa and he said “While there is clearly no
immediate imperative for genetic enhancement in the West, in SA we face a high infectious
disease burden and challenges in public healthcare, and socioeconomic challenges have
meant that existing treatment has been ineffective and led to deaths that could have been
prevented.“18 Another ethical issue is violating the right of the fetus or embryo because
parents determine whether their babies‘ genes are altered or not on behalf of their children.
According to Habermas, “Parental discretion ought not to intrude upon a child‘s ethical
freedom, that is, the right of a child to a sense of self-identity which is intimately connected
to certain biological foundations, including the child possessing an unmanipulated genetic
inheritance.“19 After the genetically modified child is born, if the child had some problems
unexpectedly due to his or her parents will feel guilty about their child. Nevertheless, the
negative impacts of ethical issues can be eliminated by accurate and targeted measurements.
For example, governments can implement some ethical frameworks and policies which
prevent people from having trouble with inequality, discrimination, and the right of the fetus
or embryo by administering a committee for ethical review, oversight, and evaluation of the
gene editing research and processes. Furthermore, especially for inequality problems among
countries, international collaboration, and governance is one of the most effective ways to
eliminate it. When all of these factors are taken into account, the problems which gene
editing can cause are easily overcome if accurate steps are followed.
In conclusion, in the light of what has been mentioned above, that gene editing should be
widespread throughout the world is acknowledged. Even though gene editing has some
negative consequences and ethical concerns, gene editing provides humanity and the world
with a lot of opportunities such as health benefits, super features, and cost advantages. The
advantages and benefits of gene editing outweigh its disadvantages because the issues can
be easily overcome with accurate interventions and regulations. If people underestimate the
importance of gene editing practices for people’s well-being and the future developments of

18
Shozi, 66.
19
Shozi, 63.
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the world, they cannot benefit from the potential of what humanity is able to do. However,
time passes fast, and the world is changing fast, so people should pay attention to gene
editing and focus on the advantages of gene editing to adapt to the world changing instead of
getting stuck in easily solvable problems which gene editing can cause. Hence, as Savulescu
states, people have to determine whether they want the “natural lottery” or “rational
choice.”20 We ought to choose “rational choice” so that humanity can seize the opportunities
of gene editing.

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20
Savulescu, 39.
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