HPSC1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Corrective Lens, Baal Hammon, Fetus
9 Jun 2018
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Lecture 18: introducing prenatal genetic modification
Discrimination and normalization
- If we accept a social model of disability, and deafness is an impairment but not a
disability per se, should the biological or the social condition be treated?
- If we propose a technological solution to a social problem of discrimination, are we
atteptig to ake people oal?
- If so, what is the problem with that?
- Should the concept of the normal have moral weight?
Selecting for impairment
- The medical model attempts to treat disability as an illness or pathology to be
minimized or cured
- It focuses on the biological condition, i.e. on impairment
- The Social model argues that impairments are forms of human difference that ought to
be respected.
- But should we allow / prohibit embryo selection on the basis of impairment?
What Sorts of People Should There Be?
o John Harris:
- Cat distiguish etee theapy ad ehaeet
- E.g. Reading glasses, vaccination, human growth hormone
- Our decisions should rest solely on the extent and likelihood of harm
- Some people can be permitted certain substances in order to put them out of
disadatage ake the oal V“ the idea that othe people ould e gie a
enhancement rather than therapy
- Medical intervention is permissible if they are designed to eliminate harm
Harm
- What counts as a harm? Not always clear
- Is infertility harm?
- Provides a way of identifying disability without reference to the normal
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Document Summary
The medical model attempts to treat disability as an illness or pathology to be minimized or cured. It focuses on the biological condition, i. e. on impairment. The social model argues that impairments are forms of human difference that ought to be respected. What sorts of people should there be: john harris: Our decisions should rest solely on the extent and likelihood of harm. Some people can be permitted certain substances in order to put them out of disad(cid:448)a(cid:374)tage (cid:894)(cid:373)ake the(cid:373) (cid:858)(cid:374)o(cid:396)(cid:373)al(cid:859)(cid:895) v the idea that othe(cid:396) people (cid:449)ould (cid:271)e gi(cid:448)e(cid:374) a(cid:374) enhancement rather than therapy. Medical intervention is permissible if they are designed to eliminate harm. Provides a way of identifying disability without reference to the normal. Not totally laissez faire (free from intervention) approach (unlike savulescu who argues that parents should be able to exercise free choice including making controversial choices for disabilities) Usually people(cid:859)s (cid:373)oti(cid:448)es fo(cid:396) ha(cid:448)i(cid:374)g (cid:272)hild(cid:396)e(cid:374) a(cid:396)e u(cid:374)(cid:395)uestio(cid:374)ed a(cid:374)d (cid:449)e gi(cid:448)e the(cid:373) g(cid:396)eat leeway.
