bioethique
» PARADOX OF HARM
One cannot be said to harm someone by bringing them into existence. This is true even if you choose to create someone who will have a disability, since they otherwise wouldn't have existed at all.
The only exception is creating someone whose life is literally worse than non-existence. And of course, the vast majority of people living with a disability have lives that are well worth living.
If there is something problematic about intentionally choosing to create a child that has a given disability, it cannot be because you are harming that child. This conclusion surprises many.
Check your understanding!
(1/1 point)
Imagine a couple selecting an embryo to implant after a course of in-vitro fertilization. They’ve done some tests and find out that one embryo has the genetic marker for Huntington’s Disease (a neurodegenerative disorder that reduces life expectancy by approximately 20 years and brings many cognitive and physical symptoms, often starting around middle age). The other embryos show no signs of genetic problems. The couple chooses to implant the embryo with the marker for Huntington’s. Have they harmed the child by doing so?
