Dr. J. Budziszewski

They're being operated upon.

They are the patients, not the agents.

And suppose we monkey with our genes.

The next generation is less free than this one because...

their range of choice has been constricted by this operation on their genes.

And the controllers in that generation then continue to monkey with the genes, and the generation after that is even less free.

Until far enough in the future, nobody has any freedom left at all.

This isn't an increase in freedom.

It also means an increase in irrationality.

Because Lewis pointed out,

On what possible basis can you say this is better than this?

We're going to improve our nature.

This is better than this.

Well, in some cases, that's a no-brainer.

If we could do away with cancer, sure.

But cancer, there's a natural basis.

There's a basis in our nature.

There's a natural law basis for saying that cancer is bad because it's an interruption of or a perversion of or an undermining of natural function.

A cavity in the tooth is bad.

It's okay to fill it.