ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that medical and moral reasons for genetic intervention have more weight at and below the baseline of adequate functioning and less weight above the baseline. It shows that we have a sound general understanding of what constitutes adequate or normal physical and mental functioning. The idea of genetic intervention often suggests inserting into cells a normal copy of a gene coding for a protein crucial to the normal function of these cells and other bodily processes. Genetic enhancement is a type of genetic intervention. This is significantly different from genetic testing and termination of embryos and gene therapy, not only because its aim falls outside the goal of medicine and health care, but also because it is motivated by perfectionism rather than by beneficence and justice. Healths benefits of the better off (healthy) could be taxed to subsidize access to genetic technologies for the worse off (diseased).
