The Ethics of Artificial Selection and Genetic Modification of Plants

摘要

Artificial selection and genetic modification are both methods which areused to maximize crop profit. The recent years’ development in the geneticengineering sector has made it possible to transfer a specific trait from oneorganism to another. The development has caused a widespread ethicaldebate on the subject. This study examines two different cases based ongenetic modification and artificial selection of plants respectively. The aimof this study is to determine, which ethics participants in the debate useto promote their respective cause. This is achieved by thoroughly analysingthe respective arguments. Based on an analysis and a discussion this studyconcludes that the two methods are similar, seen from an ethical perspective,since both methods use utilitarian and deontology ethical arguments. Basedon the analysis, an ethical basis for assessing genetic modification as moreor less right than artificial selection has not been found. Despite the ethicalsimilarities, the public opinion on the two methods vary significantly, as thescepticism towards genetic modification is far greater than towards artificialselection.