Abstract
It has been argued by some authors that our reaction to deaf parents who choose deafness for their children ought to be compassion, not condemnation. Although I agree with the reasoning proposed I suggest that this practice could be regarded as unethical. In this article, I shall use the term “dysgenic” as a culturally imposed genetic selection not to achieve any improvement of the human person but to select genetic traits that are commonly accepted as a disabling condition by the majority of the social matrix; in short as a handicap. As in eugenics, dysgenics can be achieved in a positive and a negative way. Positive dysgenics intends to increase the overall number of people with a particular genetic trait. Marriage between deaf people or conceiving deaf children through reproductive technology are examples of positive dysgenics. Negative dysgenics can be obtained through careful prenatal or pre-implantation selection and abortion (or discarding) of normal embryos and foetuses. Only deaf children would be allowed to live. If dysgenics is seen as a programmed genetic intervention that undesirably shapes the human condition – like deliberately creating deaf or dwarf people – the professionals involved in reproductive technologies should answer the question if this should be an accepted ethical practice because the basic human right to an open future is violated.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
InstitutionalAuthorNameAmerican College of Medical Genetics (2002) ArticleTitle‘Genetics Evaluation Guidelines for the Etiologic Diagnosis of Congenital Hearing Loss’ Genetics in Medicine 4 IssueID3 162–171
M. Bitner-Glindzicz (2002) ArticleTitle‘Hereditary Deafness and Phenotyping in Humans’ British Medical Bulletin 63 73–94 Occurrence Handle10.1093/bmb/63.1.73 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XovVGkt7k%3D Occurrence Handle12324385
Committee of Ministers: 1990, Recommendation No. R (90) 13 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on Prenatal Genetic Screening, Prenatal Genetic Diagnosis and Associated Genetic Counselling (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 21 June 1990).
Council of Europe: 1996, Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with Regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine: Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. Council of Europe, Approved by the Committee of Ministers, 19 November, 1996.
D. Davis (1997) ArticleTitle‘Genetic Dilemmas and the Child’s Right to an Open Future’ Hastings Center Report 27 7–15 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByiB2sfgtFY%3D Occurrence Handle9131346
F. Denoyelle (1999) ArticleTitle‘Clinical Features of the Prevalent Form of Childhood Deafness, DFNB1, Due to a Connexin-26 Gene Defect: Implications for Genetic Counselling’ The Lancet 353 1298–1303 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0140-6736(98)11071-1 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1M3jt1yqtw%3D%3D
T. Engelhardt (1986) The Foundations of Bioethics Oxford University Press New York
J. Feinberg (1980) The Child’s Right to an Open Future W. Aiken H. LaFollette (Eds) Whose Child? Children’s Rights Parental Authority and State Power Totowa Littlefield
L. Jacobs (1989) A Deaf Adult Speaks Out EditionNumber3 Gallaudet University Press Washington DC
B. Keats C. Berlin (1999) ArticleTitle‘Genomics and Hearing Impairment’ Genome Research 9 7–16 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXhtVWlsL4%3D Occurrence Handle9927480
D. Kevles (1996) In the Name of Eugenics: Genetics and the Uses of Human Heredity University of California Press Berkeley
H. Lane (1992) The Mask of Benevolence – Disabling the Deaf Community Vintage Books New York
H. Lane M. Grodin (1997) ArticleTitle‘Ethical Issues in Cochlear Implant Surgery: An Exploration into Disease, Disability, and the Best Interests of the Child’ Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 7 231–251 Occurrence Handle11660356
Lappé, M.: 1998, ‘Eugenics. Ethical Issues’, in: W. Reich (ed.), Bioethics: Sex, Genetics and Human Reproduction. Macmillan Compendium. New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA, Simon & Schuster Macmillan.
N. Levy (2002) ArticleTitle‘Deafness, Culture and Choice’ Journal of Medical Ethics 28 286–288 Occurrence Handle10.1136/jme.28.5.284
R. Lynn (1996) Dysgenics: Genetic Deterioration of Modern Populations Praeger Publishers Westport
M. Mesolella G. Tranchino M. Nardone S. Motta V. Galli (2004) ArticleTitle‘Connexin 26 Mutations in Nonsyndromic Autosomal Recessive Hearing Loss: Speech and Hearing Rehabilitation’ International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology 68 IssueID8 995–1005 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.ijporl.2004.02.015 Occurrence Handle15236885
D. Moores (1987) Educating the Deaf. Psychology, Principles and Practices EditionNumber3 Houghton Mifflin Company Boston
R. Morell H. Kim L. Hood L. Goforth K. Friderici R. Fisher (1998) ArticleTitle‘Mutations in the Connexin 26 gene (GJB2) Among Ashkenazi Jews with Nonsyndromic Recessive Deafness’ The New England Journal of Medicine 339 IssueID21 1500–1505 Occurrence Handle10.1056/NEJM199811193392103 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1cXnslGmtbk%3D Occurrence Handle9819448
Murray, C.: 1998, ‘Genetic Counseling. Ethical Issues’, in: W. Reich (ed.), Bioethics: Sex, Genetics and Human Reproduction. Macmillan Compendium. New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA, Simon and Schuster Macmillan.
T. Murray (2005) ArticleTitle‘Will New Ways of Creating Stem Cells Dodge the Objections?’ The Hastings Center Report 35 IssueID1 8–9 Occurrence Handle10.1353/hcr.2005.0012 Occurrence Handle15799491
E. Parens A. Asch (1999) ArticleTitle‘The Disability Rights Critique of Prenatal Genetic Testing’ Hastings Center Report 29 S1–S22 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3c%2FlsFWhsw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10587809
O. Sacks (1990) Seeing Voices. A Journey into the World of the Deaf Harper Perennial New York
M. Spriggs (2002) ArticleTitle‘Lesbian Couple Create a Child Who Is Deaf Like Them’ Journal of Medical Ethics 28 283 Occurrence Handle10.1136/jme.28.5.283 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD38vpsFGqtQ%3D%3D Occurrence Handle12356950
K. Steel (1998) ArticleTitle‘A New Era in the Genetics of Deafness’ The New England Journal of Medicine 339 1545–1547 Occurrence Handle10.1056/NEJM199811193392110 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1M%2FisFemtw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle9819455
D. Suzuki P. Knudtson (1991) GenEthics. The Ethics of Engineering Life Stoddart Publishing Toronto
The Danish Council of Ethics: 2002, Ethical Problems Concerning Assisted Reproduction, Part II, Anonymity and Selection in the Context of Sperm Donation, Annual Report.
B. Tucker (1998) ArticleTitle‘Deaf Culture, Cochlear Implants and Elective Disability’ Hastings Center Report 28 6–14 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1cvjsFarsw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle9762533
United Nations: 1989, Convention on the Rights of the Child. Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, 20 November.
R. Wachbroit D. Wasserman (2003) ‘Reproductive Technology H. LaFollette (Eds) The Oxford Handbook of Practical Ethics Oxford University Press Oxford
M. Warnock (1992) The Uses of Philosophy Blackwell Oxford
D. Weatherall (1994) ‘Human Genetic Manipulation’ R. Gillon (Eds) Principles of Health Care Ethics Chichester John Wiley and Sons
Wellman, C.: 1998, Rights, Systematic Analysis, in: W. Reich (ed.), Bioethics: Sex, Genetics and Human Reproduction. Macmillan Compendium. New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA, Simon and Schuster Macmillan.
D. Wertz J. Fletcher (1988) ArticleTitle‘Ethics and Medical Genetics in the United States: A National Survey’ American Journal of Medical Genetics 29 15–27 Occurrence Handle10.1002/ajmg.1320290411
C. Wever (2002) Parenting Deaf Children in the Era of Cochlear Implants. A Narrative-Ethical Analysis CIP-gegevens Koninklijke Bibliotheek The Hague
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nunes, R. Deafness, Genetics and Dysgenics. Med Health Care Philos 9, 25–31 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-005-2852-9
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-005-2852-9