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How should we theorize about justice in the genomic era?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2021

Colin Farrelly
Colin Farrelly*
Affiliation:
Queen’s University
*
Correspondence: Colin Farrelly, Queen’s University. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The sequencing of the human genome and advances in gene therapy and genomic editing, coupled with embryo selection techniques and a potential gerontological intervention, are some examples of the rapid technological advances of the “genetic revolution.” This article addresses the methodological issue of how we should theorize about justice in the genomic era. Invoking the methodology of non-ideal theory, I argue that theorizing about justice in the genomic era entails theorizing about (1) the new inequalities that the genetic revolution could exacerbate (e.g., genetic discrimination, disability-related injustices, and gender inequality), and (2) those inequalities that the genetic revolution could help us mitigate (e.g., the risks of disease in early and late life). By doing so, normative theorists can ensure that we develop an account of justice that takes seriously not only individual rights, equality of opportunity, the cultural and sociopolitical aspects of disability, and equality between the sexes, but also the potential health benefits (to both individuals and populations) of attending to the evolutionary causes of morbidity and disability.

Keywords

geneticsgenome editingjusticeideal theorynonideal theoryaging
Type
Perspective
Information
Politics and the Life Sciences , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , Spring 2021 , pp. 106 - 125
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Association for Politics and the Life Sciences

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