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Genetic Engineering and Autonomous Agency
Author(s) -
Barclay Linda
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of applied philosophy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.339
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1468-5930
pISSN - 0264-3758
DOI - 10.1046/j.0264-3758.2003.00249.x
Subject(s) - agency (philosophy) , oppression , moral agency , orientation (vector space) , sociology , environmental ethics , social psychology , political science , psychology , law , politics , philosophy , social science , geometry , mathematics
In this paper I argue that the genetic manipulation of sexual orientation at the embryo stage could have a detrimental effect on the subsequent person's later capacity for autonomous agency. By focussing on an example of sexist oppression I show that the norms and expectations expressed with this type of genetic manipulation can threaten the development of autonomous agency and the kind of social environment that makes its exercise likely.