An Autobiographical Philosophy on the Quality of Life of Individuals with Genetic Diseases
ABSTRACT
Julian Savalescu argues that we have moral obligations to select embryos with the greatest chance at leading the best life given available genetic information. His conception of the ‘best life’ reads as if quality of life is a sufficient condition for not selecting embryos diagnosed with a genetic disease, or genetic predisposition to a disease. Although Savalescu does not adequately define what he means by quality of life in his thesis, his examples demonstrate a flawed understanding of the meaning of quality of life. As an individual living with a genetic disease myself, I can attest to the inadequacy of his definition of quality of life. His analysis is not sufficient and does not justify his conclusion. Using first-person experiences as evidence, I examine aspects of the social and medical quality of life of individuals living with genetic diseases. Finally, I propose alternative ways to define “quality of life” that will better support Savalescu’s conclusion.
Published: May 2021 by Jack Timperley
Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U7bOsoSO5k
Student Research and Creative Activities Symposium
Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago, IL - 4/22/21
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