From self-determination to offspring determination? Reproductive autonomy, procrustean parenting, and genetic enhancement
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Rueda Etxebarria, JonEditorial
Wiley
Materia
autonomy autonomy enhancement reprogenetic technologies GenEthics genetic enhancement reproductive autonomy
Date
2021-09-27Referencia bibliográfica
Rueda, J. (2021). From self-determination to offspring determination? Reproductive autonomy, procrustean parenting, and genetic enhancement. Theoria (Stockholm). https://doi.org/10.1111/theo.12349
Sponsorship
This research is funded by an INPhINIT Retaining Fellowship of the La Caixa Foundation (grant number LCF/BQ/DR20/11790005).Abstract
Emerging reprogenetic technologies may radically change how humans reproduce in the not-so-distant future. One foreseeable consequence of disruptive innovations in the procreative domain is an increase in the reproductive autonomy of intended parents. Regarding the prospective parental liberty of enhancing non-health–related traits of the offspring, one controversy has particularly dominated the literature. Does parents’ choice of genetically enhancing the traits of their descendants compromise children’s future personal autonomy? In this article, I will analyse the main arguments which posit that reprogenetic enhancement could be at odds with the child’s future autonomy. I will argue that these objections are ill-founded. Moreover, I will present other arguments that show that reprogenetic technologies can enhance the autonomy of future children. Autonomy enhancement is a plausible and pro tanto desirable application of emerging reprogenetic technologies.