Human Enhancement from Precision Medicine: A Case Study on the Future of Humanity

Abstract

This case study explores the future of precision medicine and whether it might essentially redefine human reproduction, identity, and social equity. Originally envisioned to eliminate genetic disease, instruments like CRISPR-Cas9 are now being contemplated as a method of human enhancement—opening the Pandora's box of the alleged "designer babies." Through the use of a case scenario, the case asks essential questions regarding a future where genetic editing is employed as a tool of socioeconomic advancement, amassing power and privilege in the hands of those capable of affording bio-enhancement. Students are asked to reflect on the ethical, legal, and philosophical implications of genetically engineered traits—intelligence, beauty, or athleticism, for example—becoming prerequisites for social mobility, employment, and political representation. The case brings to center stage debates about autonomy, consent, diversity, and the threat of eugenic thinking, as well as analogies to contemporary forms of genetic discrimination and inequalities in healthcare access. It challenges students to think about what constitutes the "ideal human," how policy regimes must shift, and whether human evolution must proceed as a natural process or a designed, commodified future.