Centre of Genomics and Policy, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
CRISPR J. 2019 Oct;2(5):316-323. doi: 10.1089/crispr.2019.0046.
When writing about CRISPR and similar technologies, many bioethicists use science-fiction references to help readers picture the ramifications of germline gene editing. By a large margin, the most frequently referenced novel in this debate is Aldous Huxley's 1932 dystopia . Despite its iconic status and effectiveness at communicating specific ethical issues, provides relatively poor examples of interventions such as gene therapy or enhancement. In addition, the eugenic tropes that Huxley promotes in much of his work make an uncomfortable choice for authors who oppose the use of CRISPR for illiberal purposes. Ethicists should consider bringing a wider variety of fiction references into the discourse on genome editing, especially stories that can complement with insights about the ethical issues left undeveloped in Huxley's novel.
当撰写有关 CRISPR 和类似技术的文章时，许多生物伦理学家使用科幻小说的参考资料来帮助读者想象生殖系基因编辑的后果。在这场辩论中，被引用最多的小说是奥尔德斯·赫胥黎 1932 年的反乌托邦小说《美丽新世界》。尽管它具有标志性地位，并能有效地传达特定的伦理问题，但它提供的基因治疗或增强等干预措施的例子相对较少。此外，赫胥黎在他的大部分作品中所宣扬的优生学比喻，使得那些反对将 CRISPR 用于不自由目的的作者感到不舒服。伦理学家应该考虑将更多种类的小说参考资料引入基因组编辑的讨论中，特别是那些可以用赫胥黎小说中未开发的伦理问题的见解来补充它的故事。
