Genetic Enhancement and Technomoral Change: An Anticipatory Ethics Approach

by Jon Rueda

Overview

This book presents a groundbreaking analysis of the anticipatory ethical issues associated with human genetic enhancement. It provides instructive clarifications for understanding the philosophy and science behind this long-standing bioethical debate and identifies how genetic enhancement may impact the moral codes of future societies.

Part 1 examines the historical, conceptual, scientific, and ethical challenges related to human genetic enhancement. The Interlude introduces the emerging philosophical debate on technomoral change. Part 2 addresses reproductive choice, genetic justice, and equal treatment to illustrate how enhancement technologies may alter future social morality. Finally, the book explores the anticipatory governance of genetic enhancement, qualifying the necessity and limitations of public engagement, identifying different types of epistemic and moral uncertainties, and offering meta-normative recommendations for public policy.

Genetic Enhancement and Technomoral Change will be of interest to scholars and advanced students interested in bioethics, philosophy of technology, and anticipation studies of science and technology.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781041144694
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	10/31/2025
Series:	Routledge Research in Applied Ethics
Pages:	300
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jon Rueda is a Juan de la Cierva Fellow at the Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain. His main areas of research are bioethics, philosophy of technology, AI ethics, and research ethics. He has published in Nature Genetics, Nature Medicine, Journal of Medical Ethics, Bioethics, Philosophy of Technology, Patterns, Futures, among others.

Table of Contents

Part 1: The Challenge of Human Genetic Enhancement  1. Introduction  2. A History and Definition of Genetic Enhancement  3. The Technoscientific Landscape of Genetic Enhancement  4. Advancing the Debate on Genetic Enhancement  5. Anticipatory Ethics and the Future of Genetic Enhancement  Interlude  6. Technomoral Change  Part 2: Technomoral Change Through Genetic Enhancement  7. Disrupting Reproductive Choice  8. Disrupting Genetic Justice  9. Disrupting Equal Standing  10. Anticipatory Governance for Intergenerational Technomoral Change  Conclusions: Anticipatory Ethics for Uncharted Waters

Editorial Reviews

“In this book, Jon Rueda provides one of the most detailed and insightful analyses I know about the potentialities and dangers of genetic and reproductive technologies in pursuit of human enhancement. The reader will not only become familiar with the main theoretical positions on the matter but will also receive useful ethical guidance.”

Antonio Diéguez, Full Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science, University of Málaga, Spain

"In Genetic Enhancement and Technomoral Change, Rueda expertly combines insights from bioethics and philosophy of technology to investigate the morally transformative role of genetic enhancement technologies. With his anticipatory ethics task, he skillfully offers us a vision of the disruptive moral power of these technologies and presents us with a call to action."

Inmaculada de Melo-Martín, Professor of Medical Ethics in Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, USA

From the Publisher