PHL281H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter Vaugn: Social Cost, Gene Therapy, Moral Agency
Document Summary
Therapeutic/enhancement distinction: gene therapy: intervention aimed at treating disease and restoring functions and capacities to adequate baseline, genetic enhancement: improves/augments functions and capacities that are already normal- amplify normal genes to make them better. Health care entails restoring/maintaining functions to normal level, ensuring fair equality of opportunity for all. Genetic enhancement falls outside of this goal of medicine. Immune system: some forms of enhancement are preventative of disease: vaccination: enhance immune systems by priming it to fight viruses, implies immune system we inherited is not adequate. Is it a small step to enhance general function of immune system by genetic means: morally justifiable if enhancement prevents disease and doesn"t cause offsetting harm to people. This is not enhancement but maintenance: restoring and promoting normal functions: heightening immune sensitivity beyond certain point will lead to harm. With enhancement there is presumably no limit to extent of enhancement. Genetic lottery idea: meets needs rather their preferences, enhancements correspond to preference.
