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Cohen, Lloyd --- "Germline Engineering: Whose Right?" [2004] ELECD 109; in Colombatto, Enrico (ed), "The Elgar Companion to the Economics of Property Rights" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2004)

Book Title: The Elgar Companion to the Economics of Property Rights

Editor(s): Colombatto, Enrico

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781840649949

Section: Chapter 12

Section Title: Germline Engineering: Whose Right?

Author(s): Cohen, Lloyd

Number of pages: 23

Extract:

12 Germline engineering: whose right?
Lloyd Cohen*


Introduction
The issue to which I shall direct my attention in this chapter is human
`germline engineering'. This term refers to the coming prospect of changing
the genetic code of human embryos. There are many within the community
of philosophers, scientists, `medical ethicists' and laymen who oppose such
tinkering. I do not; I relish the prospect. If there is some justification in
prohibiting germline engineering it must rest on the evil or harm of the
activity. I make a distinction between evil and harm to allow for the possibil-
ity that some action might fall in the first category (evil) while not falling in
the second (harm), that is, that there is a moral dimension to human action
independent of its effect ­ or intended effect ­ on other human beings. But
because as a lawyer and economist I can offer no special insight into evil, I
shall restrict my inquiry to harm.
My ultimate argument flows from the outcome of the analysis of the
various potential harms alleged to flow from germline engineering. While I
find that there may be minor categories that are problematic, these are no
more than quirky ­ almost bizarre ­ exceptions to the central case, that is,
that germline intervention will yield an enormous improvement in the human
lot. Those exceptional instances in which one could imagine germline inter-
vention resulting in harm to the human condition or prospect neither require
nor justify any significant restraint or prohibition of germline intervention ...