[ExI] morals

[William Flynn Wallace]

What unethical experiment would have the most positive impact on the
society as a whole?   (This is the question I was asked on Quora.  Here is
my answer:

Easy - genetic manipulation of ova and sperm to create designer babies.

If we do this, we can find ways to eliminate most if not all genetic
diseases and conditions, meaning that we will save billions of lives in the
long run, and make many more billions have better lives. On the positive
side, we can find out what makes for a better immune system, better
intelligence, better personality, and all the rest.

Collateral damage - babies born defective in some way because the
experiment did not work as designed. So we tell them that they were an
experiment designed to help all of humanity.

If you were that person, how would you feel? You were, in effect, a
sacrifice on the altar of science.

A parallel - in 1940 you were given penicillin to treat an infection. It
had just been discovered. You die of an allergy that no one knew of - to
the drug. Do you resent being a test case, which in effect you were?

bill w
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