Abstract

Is there a moral line to be drawn at the human germline? For a long time, the dominant view on gene technology was that there is a moral line drawn at the human germline such that somatic gene editing as part of therapy is morally permissible, but heritable gene editing of early embryos or germline cells is not. The germline has been interchangeably referred to as a “boundary,” a “barrier,” and a “red line.” This previously dominant position has slowly weakened over the past decade. Has the germline as a moral boundary lost its relevance? The aim of the book The Risks and Ethics of Human Gene Editing is to provide a philosophical guide to these arguments, both old and new. This first chapter introduces the book and its main research questions: Is there, after all, something particularly morally problematic about editing the human germline? Is there something unique about such germline editing, and, if so, does this suggest that we ought not to edit the human germline, or only in particular circumstances or for particular purposes? What would be a wise and responsible approach to editing the human germline from a moral perspective?