Neri D
Instituto di Filosofia, Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione, Via Conceizione 8 - 98100, Messina, Italia.
Cad Saude Publica. 1999;15 Suppl 1:27-34. doi: 10.1590/s0102-311x1999000500004.
This paper's main issue is linked to what can be foreseen as the increasing capability of medical genetics to modify the genetic composition of the human species through direct interventions in the human genome for medical and non-medical purposes, i.e., the "risk" of a resurgence of eugenics. In current discussions on the topic (briefly presented in the first section), the "phantom of eugenics" is raised several times, but there is a great deal of confusion on what counts as eugenics, partly because of broad conceptual disagreement over the notion itself. Furthermore, according to some scholars there is no hope of overcoming this unsatisfactory conceptual uncertainty. Partly challenging this opinion, the second and third sections of this paper attempt to identify some basic features which could be seen as intrinsically linked to the notion of eugenics, with the aim of reducing the range of conceptual disagreement as a preliminary step in bringing into focus what exactly is wrong with practicing eugenics. The subsequent sections deal with the substantive issue of whether or not to practice eugenics from the point of view of the interest of future generations in the human species' genetic composition. The main moral arguments for and against eugenics are examined from the point of view of our obligations towards future generations, and the conclusion is in favor of a cautious "open-door" position.
本文的主要问题与医学遗传学日益增长的能力相关，这种能力可以通过出于医学和非医学目的对人类基因组进行直接干预来改变人类的基因组成，即优生学死灰复燃的“风险”。在当前关于该主题的讨论中（第一节简要介绍），“优生学幽灵”被多次提及，但对于什么算作优生学存在很大的困惑，部分原因是对这一概念本身存在广泛的概念分歧。此外，一些学者认为无法克服这种不令人满意的概念不确定性。本文的第二和第三节在一定程度上对这一观点提出质疑，试图确定一些可被视为与优生学概念内在相关的基本特征，目的是缩小概念分歧的范围，作为聚焦实施优生学究竟错在哪里的初步步骤。随后的章节从后代对人类基因组成的利益角度探讨了是否实施优生学的实质性问题。从我们对后代的义务角度审视了支持和反对优生学的主要道德论据，结论是支持谨慎的“开放”立场。
