Luck, genes, and equality.
This essay considers principles of distributive justice for access to reproductive biotechnologies which make it possible to enhance the traits of human offspring. The author provides prima facie reason to think that redistributive principles apply to genetic goods and proceed to evaluate the way in which four distributive patterns--egalitarianism, luck egalitarianism, prioritarianism, and suffcientarianism--would implement a just distribution of genetic goods. He argues that the currency of genetic redistribution consists in natural primary goods like health, vision, and rationality as these goods contribute to the biological component of basic capabilities, like being healthy, seeing properly, and being able to reason. The author develops a mixed sufficiency/priority approach to genetic enhancement, and defends this approach against objections.
Fox
Dov
D
Keble College, Oxford.
D001709:Biotechnology / Q000941:ethics* / Q000639:trends; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000941:ethics / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D012935:Social Justice