Marissa Burton

Genetic Enhancement
7:00 p.m.-9:50 p.m.
March 2, 2016

1. The point trying to be made in the yes side of the argument is that although genetic
enhancement may be useful for treating/preventing diseases one may utilize this
enhancement to improve themselves or their child in an effort to become more perfect
which is an unacceptable use of the technology.
2. The thesis on the no side is that new discoveries and breakthroughs in science and math
are made to aid us in everyday life, sometimes new findings or new biotechnology have
unexpected outcomes take place, hence they arent perfect just as we as humans are not
perfect and never will be.
3. 1) Some cultures strongly prefer boys over girls. 2) H Lee Sweeney conducted an
experiment by putting a synthetic gene into mice that reversed and prevented the process
of muscles breaking down.
4. 1) In the 1970s, immunizations were introduced and were helping to treat polio and
smallpox. 2) Its inevitable that new knowledge may be used for good, but on the flip
side, it can also be abused and misused for self-serving purposes.
5. 1) If Genetic enhancement was used to improve a certain talent or skill (like a sport or to
improve for a certain profession) then those who have talents without genetic
enhancement may be undermined and overlooked. 2) If humans took part in genetic
enhancement (when approved for human use) and the genetic enhancements were passed
down from parent to child through multiple generations of that family, there could
eventually be a subspecies of humans created.
6. 1) There is no reason to fear genetic enhancements or limit how people can use them. 2)
Contrary to the thought, there probably wont be a huge mass of people wanting genetic
enhancements.

Marissa Burton
Genetic Enhancement
7:00 p.m.-9:50 p.m.
March 2, 2016

7. Even among those who favor abortion rights, few advocate abortion simply because the
parents do not want a girl. This is a fallacy in the text due to the fact that it generalizes
the beliefs of those who are for abortion.
8. Longer life spans means more caner and dementiaimprovments in neonatal care mean
more damaged low birth weight survivors I believe this statement is just misleading to
the paper itself because hes advocating being for genetic enhancements when this
example is more so a reason to possibly be against it.
9. I personally feel that the yes side of the argument is most correct solely due to the fact
that those who would use the genetic enhancements, may be those looking to perfect
themselves and abuse the technology instead of going off ones own natural abilities and
talents.
10. Howard Trachtman(the no side of the argument) presented his information the best due to
the fact that he had multiple reputable sources to back- up his own beliefs on the matter.
11. Micheal J. Sandels opinion is mostly bias due to the fact that he didnt have any
references to support his opinions and he didnt consider the other side of it as much as
Trachtman did.