8.+Discussion+Questions

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 * In small groups, or independently:**


 * Possible Questions from Michael**
 * 1) Do you believe that genes have independent moral status? Why or why not?
 * 2) Does the information pertaining to Prader–Willi and Angelman syndromes lead you to agree that genes are not morally absolute? Perhaps genes do contain some level of moral status, although are not omnipotent.
 * 3) If an early intervention could be developed for the above syndromes, such that the manifestation of these diseases could be prevented through genetic therapy, would you feel that the therapy in this case is ethically permissible?
 * 4) Consider the information about David Vetter (the boy who lived in a bubble) and the first successful case of gene therapy that treated the 4 year old girl with SCID. Do these cases change or strengthen your views about gene therapy? Think back to the beginning of the semester and evaluate these cases from both a consequentialism standpoint and a deontology (non-consequentialism) standpoint.


 * Possible Easy Questions from the NIH website**
 * 1) How can “good” and “bad” uses of gene therapy be distinguished?
 * 2) Who decides which traits are normal and which constitute a disability or disorder?
 * 3) Will the high costs of gene therapy make it available only to the wealthy?\
 * 4) Could the widespread use of gene therapy make society less accepting of people who are different?
 * 5) Should people be allowed to use gene therapy to enhance basic human traits such as height, intelligence, or athletic ability?