Are embryos people? And are there downsides to designer babies?
Earlier this year, Alabama’s Supreme Court handed down a controversial decision declaring that frozen embryos should be treated as children and, therefore, their destruction treated legally as wrongful deaths, leaving in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics with a big problem. Less than a month later, the state’s Republican governor, Kay Ivey, signed into law a bill protecting access to IVF treatment in the state. As Reason reported at the time, the court ruling had “caused near-immediate chaos, with three IVF providers in the state shutting down operations.” Widespread backlash ensued, including from conservatives like Texas Gov. Greg Abbot, who told CNN, “We want to make it easier for people to be able to have babies, not…make it harder….And the IVF process is a way of giving life to even more babies.”
Today’s guest is not only pro-IVF as an infertility treatment but also as a way for parents to select desirable genetic traits for their offspring. Diana Fleischman is an evolutionary psychologist, a regular host of Aporia: The Podcast, and creator of the Dissentient Substack.
Watch the full conversation on Reason‘s YouTube channel or the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher.
Sources referenced in this conversation:
“Alabama Governor Signs Bill Protecting IVF Treatments,” by Emma Camp Alabama Supreme Court Ruling Polygenic Embryo Screening: High Approval Despite Substantial Concerns from the U.S. Public, published in medRxiv Boston Globe article on “the manosphere” Gattaca
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction 01:59 Are Embryos People? Exploring Sentience and Moral Value 04:40 Sentience and Utilitarianism: A Deep Dive 09:28 The Wisdom of Repugnance and Moral Disgust 14:55 The Alabama Case: Legal and Moral Implications 21:10 Designer Babies and Genetic Screening 23:36 Gattaca and the Ethics of Genetic Engineering 28:08 Public Opinion on Polygenic Embryo Screening 38:22 Catholic Objections 41:21 Ethical Dilemmas in Genetic Selection 45:17 Religious Perspectives on Genetic Engineering 46:58 The Future of Reproduction and Society 52:54 Personal Reflections on Parenthood and Genetics 01:08:12 Defending Evolutionary Psychology 01:12:51 Final Question Producer: John Osterhoudt
The post Diana Fleischman: Are Designer Babies The Future? appeared first on Reason.com.
