2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays

To what extent does Patricia Piccinini challenge our perspective on the ethics of bioengineering?

Scope of ethics in biological engineering There are a plethora of factors surrounding bioengineering that have caused this schism in society, from the nature of the science to the risk and safety factors, the ethics involved are countless. Regarding the foundation of opposing ethical stances, the main point of inflection is the numerous views of nature. These values range from naturalistic, to ecological, scientific, and aesthetic. One of the main arguments against it is that in modifying and creating new organisms we are playing the role of ‘god’ and interfering with phenomena that shouldn’t be. Naturalists, in particular, believe the world should be left untouched by these ideals, in which it is unnatural to do so (Bugliarello, 2003). In addition, a large portion of the research in this field has to do with living organisms, and in a day and age where the world is becoming far more ethically inclusive of animals and the environment, this raises many questions as to how this research can be done safely and ethically. The opposing perspectives are fuelled by research and the utmost understanding of organisms/life. By extension, this research could be the solution to a multitude of diseases and disabilities (Bugliarello, 2003). Alternatively, many are intrigued with its potential aesthetic possibilities, for instance, determining the appearance of your child (pre-conception). Thus, due to the endless capabilities of this phenomenon, it becomes quite polarizing. Nonetheless, a major area of confusion is determining the limits. If people are given the equipment and funds to go ahead in their research how might one determine where to stop? when does it stop being beneficial and when does it start becoming detrimental? Because we do not yet know the extent to which bioengineering can develop how can there be rules set in place? (Bugliarello, 2003) Overall, it becomes clear why bioengineering has become such a large topic for ethical debate; furthermore, why Piccinini has chosen to express

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