Abstract

This essay takes issue with the statement by the biologist and philosopher Sahotra Sarkar in his recent book Cut-and-Paste Genetics: A CRISPR Revolution that “there may be no good reason to avoid germline intervention in situations when a single mutant copy of one gene causes a disease.” After briefly summarizing the moral and ethical problems of doing uncontrolled experiments on prospective humans, I focus on practical contraindications of the prospect under the rubrics of difficulties related to biological complexity of animal systems, intrinsic hazards of the technique, deception and cynicism of its advocates, lack of scientific foresight of expert analysts, mission creep and the inevitabilities of eugenic enhancement, unsound motivation of altering disease-related genes, and the distortions of commercialism and a market-driven value system. I conclude that germline gene modification should be off the table.