Chair in Law and the Human Genome Research Group, Department of Public Law, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.
J Bioeth Inq. 2020 Jun;17(2):165-168. doi: 10.1007/s11673-020-09969-8. Epub 2020 Mar 9.
The aim of the present paper is to reinforce some of the affirmations made by Vera Lucia Raposo in a recent paper published by the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry. According to her, germline gene editing does not violate human dignity at all. This article offers some complementary ideas supporting her statement. In particular, four main arguments are stressed. Firstly, not only is the idea of human dignity unclear, but the idea of the human genome suffers from a general lack of concreteness, which has dramatic consequences for the debate. Secondly, it is highlighted that if we believe that the immutability of the human genome underpins human dignity, then it should be our duty to use the tools of genetic modification to reverse any accidental changes that occur in nature. Thirdly, it is showed that if the alteration of germline constitutes an attack on human dignity, then we should also refrain from performing medical practices such as chemotherapy, which cause precisely this effect. Finally, we argue that modification of germline is not contrary to human dignity but an excellent expression of our autonomy.
本文旨在强化 Vera Lucia Raposo 近期在《生物伦理学探究杂志》上发表的一篇论文中的一些观点。她认为，生殖系基因编辑根本没有侵犯人类尊严。本文提供了一些支持她观点的补充意见。具体来说，强调了四个主要论点。首先，人类尊严的概念不仅不清楚，而且人类基因组的概念也普遍缺乏具体性，这对辩论产生了重大影响。其次，有人强调，如果我们认为人类基因组的不变性是人类尊严的基础，那么我们有责任利用基因修饰工具来逆转自然界中发生的任何偶然变化。第三，有人指出，如果改变生殖系构成对人类尊严的攻击，那么我们也应该避免进行化疗等医疗实践，因为这些实践会产生这种效果。最后，我们认为，生殖系的修饰并不违背人类尊严，而是我们自主性的极好体现。
