Astral Codex Ten Podcast
Nobody Can Make You Feel Genetically Inferior Without Your Consent
23 Jun 2024
I. Lately we've been discussing some of the ethics around genetics and embryo selection. One question that comes up in these debates is - are we claiming that some people are genetically inferior to other people? If we're trying to select schizophrenia genes out of the population - even setting aside debates about whether this would work and whether we can do it non-coercively - isn't this still in some sense claiming that schizophrenics are genetically inferior? And do we really want to do this? I find it clarifying to set aside schizophrenia for a second and look at cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a simple single-gene disorder. A mutation in this gene makes lung mucus too thick. People born with the disorder spend their lives fighting off various awful lung infections before dying early, usually in their 20s to 40s. There's a new $300,000/year medication that looks promising, but we've yet to see how much it can increase life expectancy. As far as I know, there's nothing good about cystic fibrosis. It's just an awful mutation that leads to a lifetime of choking on your own lung mucus. So: are people with cystic fibrosis genetically inferior, or not? https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/nobody-can-make-you-feel-genetically
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