After listening to Janet Kourany speak, I had many questions about how society will handle the political and monetary influences driving human enhancements (insurance companies, enhancement priority). It is not longer a question as to whether or not enhancements will happen, but it is the question of when and how. With the current conversations about universal health care in the United States, questions about the incorporation of enhancements into insurance plans could not be more relevant, and these are questions that need to be discussed. The controversy over universal health care without the consideration of human enhancements is complicated and heated enough, so I wonder how we, as a society, begin to treat the issue with serious consideration? With enhancements added into the mix, the issue becomes even more complicated. Will treatments for cancer only be available to those who have health insurance? It is difficult for students over a certain age to obtain and afford medical coverage, so will these people be excluded from life saving treatment? I could name a hundred different examples of potential unfair distribution of enhancements and treatments, but the overlying question remains– how do we maintain a fair and equitable system if people are denied these enhancements and treatments based upon monetary values? This conversation needs to start now, so when enhancements become available in mass, we are sure to uphold democratic and just principles for society. Another question we must ask becomes increasingly more political– in which order should we begin full blown efforts for cures, treatments, or enhancements? Will this be a democratic process? Or will industry and politics rule the day? Will a hierarchy emerge based on urgency or sheer quantity of people with a disease or disability? Millions upon millions of dollars are put into research efforts, and when money is involved, politics is also involved. With this in mind, how do we establish a fair system? Perhaps the effort for a cure will go to the highest bidder instead of those who cannot afford such efforts. I do not have answers for these questions, nor do I think anyone can please every stance on the issue. What I do believe is that these issues need to be taken more seriously outside of academic circles and theoretical situations, so when the time does come for us to confront these issues full force, we may be some what prepared to deal with them.
-Leila McNeill