Rollin B E
Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523-1781, USA.
J Anim Sci. 1996 Mar;74(3):535-41. doi: 10.2527/1996.743535x.
Genetic engineers have been remiss in addressing ethical and social issues emerging from this powerful new technology, a technology whose, implications for agriculture are profound. As a consequence of this failure, society has been uneasy about genetic engineering of animals and has had difficulty distinguishing between genuine and spurious ethical issues the technology occasions. Many of the most prominent concerns do not require a serious response. On the other hand, concerns about a variety of possible risks arising from genetic engineering of animals require careful consideration and dialogue with the public. Such concerns are an admixture of ethics and prudence. A purely ethical challenge, however, hitherto not addressed, is represented by problems of animal welfare that arise out of genetically engineering agricultural animals. A principle of "conservation of welfare" is suggested as a plausible moral rule to guide such genetic engineering.
基因工程师一直疏于应对这项强大的新技术所引发的伦理和社会问题，这项技术对农业的影响意义深远。由于这种疏忽，社会对动物基因工程感到不安，并且难以区分该技术引发的真正和虚假的伦理问题。许多最突出的担忧并不需要严肃回应。另一方面，对动物基因工程可能产生的各种风险的担忧需要仔细考虑并与公众进行对话。这些担忧是伦理与审慎的混合体。然而，迄今为止尚未得到解决的一个纯粹的伦理挑战是，基因工程改造的农用动物引发的动物福利问题。有人提出“福利保护”原则，作为指导此类基因工程的一个合理的道德准则。
