ABSTRACT

The conventional view on gene doping is that it should be treated like other forms of doping, both in scientific and ethical terms, as evidenced by its inclusion within the World Anti-Doping Code back in 2003. Gene doping violates crucial characteristics of scientific and medical ethics will permit the use of experimental techniques in service of a therapeutic need, but which would not be allowed merely to enhance an athlete’s performance. In many sports, athletes must pass a medical, physical examination to demonstrate that they are fit for competition, before they are allowed to compete. Any one of these characteristics may be supported in a climate where doping is allowed, but the most challenging one to uphold is “health.” The chapter explains how humanity’s pursuit of a long and healthy life is interwoven with the fabric of modern society and how the commitment drives towards the transhumanist aspiration to continually remake the species through means arising from intellectual discoveries.