Dr Jonathan Anomaly is a philosopher, professor and an author. The concept of hand-selecting your baby’s traits has been an idea since the dawn of genetic science. This technology is now available. But just how ethical is it to shape your child’s destiny, and what unseen problems might a world with this science be facing?
The Stigma and Denial of Genetic Differences
- Conversations about IQ and genetics became highly stigmatised after World War II due to their misuse in the 1920s and 30s to justify restrictive immigration policies and notions of group supremacy.
- Historically, Hitler banned IQ tests after finding Jewish individuals consistently scored higher than Germans.
- This post-1943 "ick" factor around genetic selection and trait preference has obscured open discussion, often leading to accusations of "eugenics".
- Denying the reality of genetic influence is not a moral high ground; it can cause oppression, especially if it hinders access to beneficial technologies for children.
The Nature and Validity of IQ
- Intelligence is broadly defined as the ability to creatively solve problems, draw conclusions from evidence, and adapt, observable in both humans and animals.
- Individual differences in intelligence are real and have a largely genetic basis, though environment also plays a role (e.g., improving at IQ tests). Genetic limits exist, meaning one cannot train to become an "Einstein".
- Modern IQ tests, refined over 80 years, are reliable measures of general cognitive ability (G-factor), testing a wide variety of skills like mathematical, spatial, verbal, and inferential reasoning.
- Studies on identical twins separated at birth show nearly identical IQ scores, strongly supporting a genetic influence.
Correlates and Societal Implications of IQ
- IQ is a strong predictor of various life outcomes, including educational attainment, income, marital stability, and inversely, addictive behaviour and criminality, even after correcting for socioeconomic status.
- A proposed reason for the link to criminality is that individuals with lower IQ tend to have shorter time horizons and less self-control.
- Smarter individuals also tend to be more cooperative in collective action problems, as they can foresee the long-term benefits of cooperation over short-term self-interest.
Risks of Denying or Misrepresenting IQ
- Overemphasising IQ at the expense of other traits (like conscientiousness or openness) or conflating it with moral value is a risk.
- Denying the reality of genetic influences on IQ can lead to societal problems, such as:
- Envy and resentment towards successful individuals, leading to accusations of "privilege" (e.g., white, male, Asian, aesthetic privilege) without acknowledging natural differences.
- Destructive social policies that punish high-IQ people, potentially stifling innovation and overall societal value, as illustrated by Kurt Vonnegut's "Handicapper General" parable.
Genetic Erosion and the Need for Selection
- Humanity is experiencing "genetic erosion" or an accumulation of deleterious mutations. Advanced healthcare, antibiotics, and vaccines, while beneficial, allow individuals with historically disadvantageous genetic traits to survive and reproduce, passing these traits on.
- Using G.K. Chesterton's "white post" metaphor, the natural state of things is decay (entropy). To maintain current levels of human health and function ("keep the post white"), continuous effort is needed. Voluntary genetic selection (eugenics) is proposed as a way to counteract this decline.
The Rise of Genetic Selection and Enhancement
- Genetic selection, particularly through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and embryo screening, is becoming a pivotal technology, alongside AI, with the capacity to significantly alter future generations.
- Polygenic risk scores can assess embryos for thousands of genetic variants, allowing selection for health traits (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, schizophrenia), cognitive ability (20-25 IQ points difference between highest and lowest scoring embryos from 8-15 embryos), and soon, personality traits like conscientiousness and openness.
- The distinction between "treating disease" (e.g., preventing Down syndrome) and "enhancing capacities" (e.g., increased height, IQ, longevity) is often debated, but it breaks down under scrutiny. Many accepted interventions, like dental braces or glasses for age-related vision loss, are forms of enhancement.
- While children cannot consent to being born, hypothetical consent suggests they would prefer general good health, reasonable intelligence, and self-control.
Widespread Adoption and Societal Transformations
- Widespread adoption of embryo selection is anticipated, accelerated by rising infertility rates, later parenthood, and governments (e.g., China, Israel) potentially subsidising IVF to boost birth rates.
- The technology will initially lead to a spectrum of genetic advantages, not just two distinct classes.
- This will bring significant benefits, such as dramatically reducing disease burdens, especially in communities with high rates of cousin marriage (e.g., parts of the Middle East, Ashkenazi Jews).
- It could also lead to mild gains in cognitive ability, potentially counteracting current "dysgenic" trends where highly intelligent individuals in developed societies tend to have fewer children later in life.
- Potential concerns include the risk of a "self-defeating arms race" for certain traits like height, which may offer no relative advantage if everyone selects for it, and could even introduce health risks. However, this is likely to be "self-equilibrating" due to preferences for moderate traits and health considerations.
- While current culture can override the heritability of traits like religiosity and political orientation in the short term (e.g., Gen Z girls moving left), there is a possibility that, long-term, people might use genetic selection for such heritable tendencies.
Moral Enhancement and Cooperation
- Human morality, influenced by genetics, co-evolved to solve collective action problems, enabling cooperation within groups despite individual self-interest.
- Genetics can influence dispositions like affective empathy, conscientiousness, and openness, which are key to cooperative behaviour.
- An optimal moral strategy involves reciprocal altruism: cooperating with those who cooperate and punishing defectors. This "moralistic aggression" is considered beneficial for fostering cooperative group outcomes.
- Voluntary embryo selection for IQ is argued to be a pro-social act because smarter people tend to produce more wealth and innovation, creating societies where kindness and cooperation are more affordable and crime is reduced.
The Breakdown of the "Blank Slate" and "Preference Falsification"
- The "blank slate" view, which attributes all differences to environmental factors, is increasingly challenged by scientific reality.
- A phenomenon called "preference falsification" exists, where elites publicly advocate "blank slate" ideologies while privately acknowledging and acting on genetic realities (e.g., in partner selection or academic choices), leading to hypocrisy.
- The widespread public adoption of genetic technologies will likely expose this "cognitive dissonance," leading to a "preference cascade" where public opinion rapidly shifts to openly accept the reality and utility of genetic influence.
Public Attitudes Towards Polygenic Embryo Screening
- A study by Remy Fur and colleagues surveyed Americans on their attitudes towards polygenic embryo screening.
- There was very high approval for screening against serious health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's, and diabetes.
- Approval was moderate for intelligence (around 35-40%).
- However, approval was notably low for traits like skin colour, life satisfaction, openness to experience, and extraversion.
- The low approval for life satisfaction is theorised to stem from a desire for achievement, self-reflection, artistic melancholy, or constructive disagreeability rather than constant contentment.