Introduction: The Ethical Frontiers of Gene Editing

In the past few years, some scientists and philosophers—Stephen Pinker, Henry Miller, and Tom Koch, to mention a few—have been very critical of the role bioethics is playing with respect to medicine and, in particular, genetic engineering. They worry that bioethical concerns will hinder the development of an area of science that holds great promise for diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease in animals and human beings. They fear that steps that humanity might take to enhance or improve key traits such as intelligence or empathy in animals and humans will founder on the rocks of ethical hand-wringing by those who invoke mysterious concerns such as human dignity, fear any change involving human nature, and, in any event, do not speak for the public