Great to see so many of you engaged with the last couple of polls - still time for the rest of you to respond!
This week I have some suggestions:
1. If you've not responded to a poll, give it a go. The polls offer an important link between professional practice and ethics in the everyday world in which we live. Take the poll ideas home to your friends and family- see what they think- get them engaged in ethical debate!
2. Use these activities to think about Q3 of the assignment. Think about the responses you've made to this and other polls, to the what is ethics survey and any Vx cases you've done recently. Start to think about whether there are any common/interesting/surprising factors present in your responses. What seems to be important to you? people's rights? honesty? fairness? following a natural order of life? following rules? not getting in trouble? etc. After responding to any Vx activity simply click 'Reports' and scroll through the responses of everyone. Do you think like others? Are there some things unique about the way you think, the things that are important to you? (if you've done a Vx 'case', as opposed to a poll or survey, click 'Reports' then choose the '' tab from the top of your screen to access everyone's views).
3. Finally, use this poll and perhaps the one next week to start to lay out your reasons according to the theory you've chosen for the assignment. It'll be a good way to practice and also learn from ther responses of others.
So, here's this week's poll - have a read and see what you think...and then respond when you've got your ideas together:
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Julian Savulescu is an ethics professor at Oxford University. He is interested in cloning, stem cell research and genetic moral enhancement.
He claims that if possible parents using in-vitro fertilization (IVF) have a responsibility to select the best children they can, given all of the relevant genetic information available to them.
At present parents using IVF can screen for conditions such as cystic fibrosis and Down's Syndrome.
Savulescu says the next step ought to be screening for 'personality flaws such as potential alcoholism, psychopathy and disposition to violence'. He argues that people have a moral obligation to select ethically better children. 'They are, after all, less likely to harm themselves and others.' 'If we have the power to intervene in the nature of our offspring — rather than consigning them to the natural lottery — then we should.'
Savulescu believes that society has a moral obligation to use genetic technologies to create 'better people'. What do you think?
Read more here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/9480372/Genetically-engineering-ethical-babies-is-a-moral-obligation-says-Oxford-professor.html
Image source: https://pixabay.com/en/learn-mathematics-child-girl-2300141/
It is proposed that where possible parents using IVF should use genetic technologies to enhance their offspring rather than leaving this to chance