In “The Man on the Moon, Immortality, and Other Millennial Myths”, George Annas argues that species-altering genetic enhancements should be prohibited because they pose a threat to the integrity of the human species. In Erik Juengst’s response to Annas, (“What’s Taxonomy Got To Do With It?”), Juengst argues that Annas’s proposal to prohibit species-altering experiments would either restrict too much or restrict too little.

Prompt:

Write an essay in which you (1) explain why Annas thinks we should preserve the integrity of the human species, and then (2) explain Juengst’s objection to Annas that his proposed prohibitions would either restrict too much or restrict too little. A complete response to this question will discuss the following key ideas from this pair of papers: lessons from history, genocide, human rights, “altaring” the species, speciation events.

Sample Solution