--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am trying to get at the moral arguments…" description: "\"I am trying to get at the moral arguments and the ethical status of various attempts at enhancement, or genetic engineering, or the bid for designer ch..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/michael-sandel-10344_argument_i-am-trying-to-get-at-the-moral-argument_653357.jpg" --- # I am trying to get at the moral arguments and the ethical… ![“I am trying to get at the moral arguments and the ethical status of various attempts at enhancement, or genetic engineering, or the bid for designer children. But there are implications for society at large.” quote by Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/michael-sandel-10344_argument_i-am-trying-to-get-at-the-moral-argument_653357.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/michael-sandel-10344_argument_i-am-trying-to-get-at-the-moral-argument_653357.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/michael-sandel-10344_argument_i-am-trying-to-get-at-the-moral-argument_653357.jpg) > “I am trying to get at the moral arguments and the ethical status of various attempts at enhancement, or genetic engineering, or the bid for designer children. But there are implications for society at large.” [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights the need to examine moral and ethical implications of human enhancement technologies, considering both individual and societal impacts. **In simple terms:** We must weigh ethical issues of genetic enhancement for individuals and society. Key Takeaway Consider both personal and societal consequences before endorsing enhancement. Themes ethics technology society humanity responsibility Mood thoughtful concerned analytical Type philosophical ethical critical When to use this quote - policy making - public debate - educational curricula - family planning - medical research Key Concepts bioethics designer babies genetic engineering social justice Questions to Reflect On - What values should guide decisions on human enhancement? - How might societal norms shift with designer children? A Different Perspective Potential benefits may be overstated while risks to equality and identity are under‑explored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Genetic engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetic-engineering/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) ## Related quotes > [And while I might not always agree with the viewpoint I have to portray, because I play a district attorney, as an actress I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-flynn-boyle/and-while-i-might-not-always-agree-with-the-viewpoint-i-have-to/) [Lara Flynn Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-flynn-boyle/) > [All political debates, from tax policy to abortion, draw on moral arguments that rest on religious premises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-knowles/all-political-debates-from-tax-policy-to-abortion-draw-on-moral/) [Michael J. Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-knowles/) > [“When you consider atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens, their strongest arguments are “moral arguments” against the existence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-r-marshall/when-you-consider-atheists-such-as-richard-dawkins-daniel-dennett-sam/) Taylor R. Marshall > [If one is talking to a finance minister of a poor country, moral arguments tend not to get very far. But if you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-d-kristof/if-one-is-talking-to-a-finance-minister-of-a-poor-country-moral/) [Nicholas D. Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-d-kristof/) > [ “\[T\]he heart is a very unreliable coinpass, and even will and knowledge, as all ideological factors in general, are not to be trusted as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-dietzgen/t-he-heart-is-a-very-unreliable-coinpass-and-even-will-and-knowledge/) Joseph Dietzgen > [Strong moral arguments exist for why we should often try to ignore stereotypes or override them. But we shouldn't assume they represent some irrational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/strong-moral-arguments-exist-for-why-we-should-often-try-to-ignore/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [It's true that to speak of an ethic of giftedness, which is very much the ethic that I deploy in raising questions about designer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/it-s-true-that-to-speak-of-an-ethic-of-giftedness-which-is-very-much/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I do think it is very important that the religious communities do try to bring their teachings and their insights to bear on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-do-think-it-is-very-important-that-the-religious-communities-do-try/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [The culture of the U.S. military is such that human enhancement is accepted as a goal, taking people beyond the norm. There are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessa-gamble/the-culture-of-the-u-s-military-is-such-that-human-enhancement-is/) [Jessa Gamble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessa-gamble/) > [Our sexual lives are maintained by the shadow side and the light side, so the more we can understand and embrace enlightenment, the less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyan-douglas/our-sexual-lives-are-maintained-by-the-shadow-side-and-the-light-side/) [Kyan Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyan-douglas/) > [I'm at that age where I notice friends checking out my face and wondering, Has she been Botoxed? There's a new map there people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-julavits/i-m-at-that-age-where-i-notice-friends-checking-out-my-face-and/) [Heidi Julavits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-julavits/) > [I have the manual, and the sad thing is that many of the techniques are exactly the same ones with a few enhancements by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/i-have-the-manual-and-the-sad-thing-is-that-many-of-the-techniques/) [Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/) > [To me, being Australian is about looking after your mates, taking care of the less fortunate, supporting the underdog and enhancing the spirit that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-waugh/to-me-being-australian-is-about-looking-after-your-mates-taking-care/) [Steve Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-waugh/) > [I wouldn't call it "police reform," but I would say that police procedure enhancement could be helpful - these police shootings are absolutely horrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-grace/i-wouldn-t-call-it-police-reform-but-i-would-say-that-police/) [Nancy Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-grace/) > [I think the difference is that Angelina didn't need any CGI enhancement and I did! You can't really think about some things too much,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/i-think-the-difference-is-that-angelina-didn-t-need-any-cgi/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) ## More by Michael Sandel > [It is true that the Jewish tradition emphasizes the moral mandate to save life. It also has a different position from the Catholic Church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/it-is-true-that-the-jewish-tradition-emphasizes-the-moral-mandate-to/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [If parents are aiming at choosing children who will be good athletes, or great musicians, or who will get into Ivy League schools, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/if-parents-are-aiming-at-choosing-children-who-will-be-good-athletes/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Aiming at giving our kids a competitive edge in a consumer society - that, in principle, is a goal that is limitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/aiming-at-giving-our-kids-a-competitive-edge-in-a-consumer-society/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [In natural pregnancy, more than half of fertilized eggs fail to implant or are otherwise lost. Should we regard that as an instance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/in-natural-pregnancy-more-than-half-of-fertilized-eggs-fail-to/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [What I really want for my children is that they be loved and that they be happy and that they lead a good life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/what-i-really-want-for-my-children-is-that-they-be-loved-and-that/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Economics has increasingly become the science of human behavior in general, and it's all the more unlikely to think that it can possibly be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/economics-has-increasingly-become-the-science-of-human-behavior-in/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [The relief of suffering is a great good. The curing of illness and disease - these are great human goods. This is the mission…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/the-relief-of-suffering-is-a-great-good-the-curing-of-illness-and/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I do not argue that nature is sacrosanct in the sense that we must never tamper with nature. That would disempower, really, all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-do-not-argue-that-nature-is-sacrosanct-in-the-sense-that-we-must/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Today if you look at most economic textbooks, economics is not defined by subject matter. It's presented as a science of social choice that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/today-if-you-look-at-most-economic-textbooks-economics-is-not-defined/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I do think it is very important that the religious communities do try to bring their teachings and their insights to bear on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-do-think-it-is-very-important-that-the-religious-communities-do-try/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [To argue about justice is unavoidably to argue about virtues, about substantive moral and even spiritual questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/to-argue-about-justice-is-unavoidably-to-argue-about-virtues-about/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Very often when we aim at the best, or what we may think is the best for our children, we aim really at lesser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/very-often-when-we-aim-at-the-best-or-what-we-may-think-is-the-best/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Democracy does not require perfect equality, but it does require that citizens share a common life. What matters is that people of different backgrounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/democracy-does-not-require-perfect-equality-but-it-does-require-that/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Parenthood is a school for humility. We can't choose the precise traits of our children, and that is morally important. It teaches us what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/parenthood-is-a-school-for-humility-we-can-t-choose-the-precise/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I'm a supporter of embryonic stem cell research. 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