Class Notes for ASC 128 Winter 2001

Reproducing whole humans

Reproducing human tissue or body parts

What's wrong with reproducing whole humans through cloning?

· The "yuck" factor:

• creating "monsters" as mistakes, deformed persons
• is the clone your child or sibling? Confusing!

• Not meant by God
• Against "survival of the fittest"/evolution

What's Wrong with Playing God?

• How do we play God already? Going against nature.
• Life support
• Plastic surgery
• In Vitro Fertilization
• All non-holistic medicine interferes with survival of fittest (?)
• GE foods
• Artificial hearts/pacemakers

Is humankind part of nature or above nature?

Are man-made things natural? No.

Maybe: it's natural when it's instinctual

Humans are the most creative animals on earth

SO: it seems that "natural" is not such a clear concept. So it's not so clear when we are going against nature.
 

In some ways humans and human creations ARE part of nature, but in some ways they are not.

There's a concept of a "Natural Order": Does that help??

Christian Scientists say ALL medicine goes against God's plan. The Amish refuse medical treatment, but accept natural medicine. This is an EXTREME view.

A more moderate view is that most medicine is reasonable. So what procedures are going too far?

Is everything natural good? Maybe not
 

Giving honey to a baby is dangerous!

Herbal ecstasy in excess

Arsenic in excess

Dope in excess

Opium in excess

Water in excess

So: there's no easy way to say when going against nature is wrong.

Is cloning going too far, and if so, why?

• It's yucky.
• Possibly dangerous, but not if done carefully.
• It could lead to discrimination: only available to the rich. But we already have plenty of discrimination in today's society, and we don't regulate against most of it.
• Unfair to the person cloned? Depends on how we raise the child. May even feel special. Identical twins can feel separate.
• Parents may have unrealistic or unfair expectations. Parents and clone may require counseling.
• We have enough people already, enough children seeking adoption. But then we would not allow "Assisted Reproductive Services" such as IVF.
• Would allow some groups to just reproduce their own kind. But we allow that already: e.g. orthodox Jews.

Conclusion: we are looking for a convincing argument against allowing cloning.
 

ASC 128 Class Notes Wed January 10, 2001

Reproductive Control

Irresponsible citizens cost taxpayers money

 Welfare mothers

Men on public assistance

What can be done to reduce costs?
 

• Time for Norplant!
• Financial incentive
• Education in high school - does it work?
• Education in middle school and even elementary school
• Cutting off welfare after a certain number of children.
• Work-Form. Requires mothers to have jobs.
• Take help away to make people learn.

Dangers of Norplant:

• Change in menstrual cycle
• Easy to implant, but hard to take out
• Heart problems, bleeding, possibly cancer

Who do we have a responsibility to as a society?
 

• Parents
• Children

Different Case: Women convicted of crimes (e.g. drug use), who have many children

Offered choice by judge of prison, sterilization, or Norplant
Is we do this, we should:

• Include counseling as part of the offer.
• Make sure we provide rehabilitation
• Woman must be competent to understand and make the choice

· Reasons For: this is good for children, best for society

· Reasons Against: not a free choice; who are we to judge?; sterilization doesn't allow for rehabilitation; Norplant can be dangerous; need to give women the chance to change; should we sterilize men too?; addiction is a disease - not a choice.

Another case: People who are incompetent to make decisions, yet get pregnant, or make others pregnant:

Retarded teenage girls; women with severe mental illness like schizophrenia, retarded men. They have legal guardians. Should the guardians ask for (reversible) sterilization or Norplant?

· Yes: they cannot look after their own children; unreasonable to ask others to look after their children.

· No: We are infringing on people's rights.

Claim: Having children should be a privilege, not a right. The majority of the class agrees with this claim!

Different kinds of rights:

· Legal right: constitutional right of competent adults to reproduce: part of the right to control your own body.

· God-given rights

· Natural rights

· Ethical rights

Not every one has the right to be able to have children. Those who are not competent to look after their children, possibly.

What is a privilege? E.g. higher education; driving: we can earn privileges, and privileges can be taken away.

Different issue:

What responsibility do we have to children not-yet-born? Would it be unfair for some children to be conceived? Should parents with genetic disorders have children?

· Cystic fibrosis

· Huntington's disease

· Down syndrome

There is always a chance that we will have a cure in the future. Most of the class says that an adult with Huntington's disease should not have children.

Are any lives not worth living? Lives full of pain and disability? Could some children rightfully say to their parents that they were irresponsible in having them?

ASC 128: Class notes on Race, Genetics & IQ

Thursday Jan 11, 2001

What races are there?

· Hispanic

· White/Caucasian

· Black/African American

· Pacific Islander

· Asian

· Native American

· Jewish?

· European?

· Other

Is race a biological notion or is it cultural (race=ethnicity?)

Ethnic groups:

· Italian

· Italian-American

· Irish

· Irish-American

· Columbian

· Brazilian

· Native American

· Indian

· Spanish

· Spanish-American

Are there any genetic difference between races?

· Height, physical appearance, skin color

· Genetic disorders; Sickle-cell anemia, Tay Sacks

Cultural differences between races: language, religion, values, culture, food

· Asian cultures: father is dominant; family is more important, stays together more; respect elders more

The very notion of "race" is problematic.
 

Is intelligence related to IQ?

Yes: IQ does have strong heritability: (75%, 52%, 48% heritability according to different measurements)

Studies relating IQ & race are highly controversial.

What difference does it make if different people have different intelligence, genetically related?

· This makes people be counted as inferior

· Retarded people as seen as inferior or incompetent

· Smart children are "nerds" and get picked on.

What qualities do we prize?

· Intelligence (IQ score)

· Athletics

· Beauty

· Artistic ability

· Mechanical agility

· Financial skills

· Survival skills

· Strength (physical)

· Honesty

· Nice/warm person

· Sense of humor

· Interpersonal skills

· Responsibility/Integrity

So how important is intelligence (IQ score) in modern society?

Do IQ tests really measure intelligence?