Albert Wu
EngCmp Final Proposal
For my final project, I propose to support, and write about the efficacy of genetic engineering and stem cell research related to healthcare. Researchers have established the link between heredity and several disease processes, and have even gone far enough to determine which chromosomes are responsible for certain diseases. There are several inheritable diseases that could potentially be cured through genetic engineering, for example sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis. However, many would argue that if humans reach the point where genes can be manipulated to exterminate these diseases, we will take the next logical step towards manipulating genes to create a generation of children with higher intelligence and perfect physiques. Several of the books we have read question the ethics of genetic engineering and stem cell research to “improve” future generations of humans. Some believe that through science, we will take away the “essence” of what makes us human, for example individuality. However, genetic engineering is imperative to eliminate health disparities, regardless of potential consequences.
To support my argument, I will cite research regarding several disease processes and explore the potential of genetic engineering to cure disease. In addition, I am going to use some of Lee Silvers, Challenging Nature, to support my argument.
From another scope, I am going to cite McKibben. McKibben would argue that we have reached a point where we’ve had Enough, that genetic engineering is parallel to taking away what makes us fundamentally human.
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3 comments:
Question: do you believe that genetic engineering should be strictly to cure diseases, or to enhance us in other ways? If the former, then how do we define "disease"?
I appreciate your narrow focus on disease, and I think that's a good approach - but you're going to need to address, at least briefly, the larger consequences and implications of your point of view.
I also thought, incidentally, that your proposal doesn't really include a clear wording of your actual argument, even if it's overall fairly obvious what it is. You might want to think about that a little before beginning.
Hi Albert!
I think this topic could definitely lead to an interesting paper. The only thing I would add to your argument is since you talk about how those who argue to stop genetic engineering think that our "human essence" will be taken away, maybe you should argue either that it wouldn't take away our meaning, or that it doesn't matter because we will be living healthier lives. I remember (in either one of your comments to me or a paper of yours I was commenting on) that you argued that our meaning wouldn't be taken away since being happy gives a human life meaning, so I think that would be a really good idea to add to your paper. I have a tendency to try to argue too much in my papers so maybe adding that argument to your thesis wouldn't be the greatest idea, but I think it would add to your argument if you at least touched on it since it's a main aspect of the counterargument.
I think you have a good idea of what you want to research and it definitely won't be too hard to argue that there are many diseases that can be cured by genetic engineering.
I'm looking forward to reading your paper!
Albert,
I think this is an interesting topic because there is so much information out there about stem cell research, and this definitely isn't a very trivial argument. Seeing as that I'm not for killing embryos and that part of the stem cell research, I would be interested to see what you come up with. I recently had to talk in support of stem cell research in my public speaking class and there is so many more alternative ways that are actually changing the way I look at stem cell research. I think it may be even hard to stay under 10 pages when talking about something this in depth.
I also like how you tie genetic engineering into the picture. I hope that you don't get into one topic too much that you don't have enough space to talk about the other one. Your paper and my paper will kind of contradict each other so I'm really interested on what you have to say.
Good luck!
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