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Shaping children through genetic and environmental means

journal contribution
posted on 2024-01-11, 04:49 authored by Christopher Gyngell, Tamara BrowneTamara Browne
In ‘Parental Genetic Shaping and Parental Environmental Shaping’, Anca Gheaus argues there is a normative difference between parents using genetic means to influence the development of their child, and parents using environmental means to achieve the same ends. Genetic shaping but not environmental shaping, it is claimed, introduces a negative asymmetry in the child–caregiver relationship. In this paper, we argue that Gheaus’ argument fails as a critique of genetic shaping, and does not establish a moral difference between genetic and environmental shaping. Contrary to Gheaus’ arguments in both ‘Parental Genetic Shaping and Parental Environmental Shaping’ and ‘Parental Enhancement and Symmetry of Power in the Parent–Child Relationship’, we also argue that even if genetic or prebirth shaping introduces further inequality in the parent–child relationship, this is not necessarily a bad thing, and it is not clear how a parent refraining from taking up the availability of such technology leaves the child better off.

History

Journal

Journal of Medical Ethics

Pagination

1-4

Location

London, Eng.

ISSN

0306-6800

eISSN

1473-4257

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Publisher

BMJ Publishing Group

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