ABSTRACT
The developing genetic and reproductive technologies are often presented as the latest step in our evolutionary process, i.e., the development of what might be termed “artificial selection.” As I have already indicated, there are a number of ways in which the preferences of parents can be satisfied. The most obvious method of prenatal influence is simply to select those individuals, or the genes of those individuals, displaying the desired trait or to select against those individuals with undesired traits or genes. It is also feasible to envisage the prenatal modification o f a child’s actual or prospective traits using either genetic or environmental manipulation. The techniques discussed in earlier chapters involve variants o f such means. This chapter explores the ethical and regulatory issues evoked by the goal itself. In other words, my concern here is to examine the legitimacy o f prenatal attempts to influence traits in isolation from the specific technique used.
