Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2021
Consider the thought experiment offered at the conference that generated this collection of essays: in this fantasy, face transplants are safe and effective. A young woman is the victim of a devastating accident. A face transplant will enable her to live a completely normal life. But, say she is African American, or Asian. Would it be ethically permissible to allow her to take the face of a Caucasian woman? Or, say you have a child with a muscle wasting disorder. Would it be permissible to alter his muscle repair system so that he not only does not have the genetic variation that causes the disease, but he has the capacity for enhanced muscular strength, beyond that of his peers, such that he could become a big league pitcher?