Inquiries

1. What do you suppose George means when he states that "genetic knowl-edge...is intrinsically valuable"?

2. George is skeptical of those who insist they would restrict their research to blastocysts (embryos at the five- or six-day stage), saying "this is bound to change." On what grounds, if any, does he rest that claim? How convincing is it, in your opinion?

3. What is problematic about pneimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of embryos, according to George? What, if anything, might be done to keep this practice from becoming exploitive?

4. How well does George support his assertions regarding genetic knowledge? That is, how compelling is his evidence? What other kinds of evidence, if any, might he have used to develop his argument?