It seems parents today will do anything to give their kids an edge. From enrolling Johnny in a top-ranked nursery school, to arranging SAT tutors for Samantha. Now some parents are contemplating that next step, deciding that giving their kids the best of everything also means giving them the best genes.
Defenders of this kind of genetic enhancement say technology makes it possible to choose the sex, and alter the height — even the personality — of a child, so why not take advantage of it. After all, who wouldn’t want their child to be a little stronger, a little smarter? Critics say the focus on designer children is leading society to the edge of slippery slope called eugenics.
Guests:
Michael Sandel, Bass Professor of Government at Harvard College and author, “The Case Against Perfection” in The Atlantic Monthly
Dr. Gregory Stock, director, Program on Medicine, Technology and Society at UCLA’s School of Public Heath