The ethics behind selective breeding
Since it's scientific definition, selective breeding has brought up many issues in terms of whether the practice is safe on an ethical level. There is no doubt that we are able to do it, but the main problem is with the question "Should we do it?" There has been much debating on both sides of the argument, and both pose strong arguments.
The main ethical issues with selective breeding are not always with such things as physical improvements in a species. They mainly come about naturally, and selective breeding can sometimes just speed it up. The main ethical issues come around about mutations that do not cause any advantage for the organism in natural wild conditions. An example of this is when a monkey was produced that was able to glow in the dark. Naturally this did not come about through selective breeding. This was genetic modification. But the same issue is brought up. What limit will humans go to in terms of selective breeding? What won't we do in terms of personal gain to us at personal cost to the species in question? These are questions that some people do not want to know the answers to. How many more species will be confined to dependance on humans for survival in day to day life, as the common cow is subject to nowadays? Another tough question that may never be answered.
There is also debate over whether the organisms themselves want this trait. The organisms are unable to consent to such breeding methods, so this is a prominent ethical issue. This obviously hasn't stopped people from selectively breeding in the past, and is highly unlikely to stop selective breeding now.
In short, there are some issues on an ethic level when it comes to selective breeding. They mostly revolve around how far is too far. Since most experiments require apprval from one science institute or another, this may not be an issue at all, since something too extreme is highly likely to be stopped before it happens anyway.
The main ethical issues with selective breeding are not always with such things as physical improvements in a species. They mainly come about naturally, and selective breeding can sometimes just speed it up. The main ethical issues come around about mutations that do not cause any advantage for the organism in natural wild conditions. An example of this is when a monkey was produced that was able to glow in the dark. Naturally this did not come about through selective breeding. This was genetic modification. But the same issue is brought up. What limit will humans go to in terms of selective breeding? What won't we do in terms of personal gain to us at personal cost to the species in question? These are questions that some people do not want to know the answers to. How many more species will be confined to dependance on humans for survival in day to day life, as the common cow is subject to nowadays? Another tough question that may never be answered.
There is also debate over whether the organisms themselves want this trait. The organisms are unable to consent to such breeding methods, so this is a prominent ethical issue. This obviously hasn't stopped people from selectively breeding in the past, and is highly unlikely to stop selective breeding now.
In short, there are some issues on an ethic level when it comes to selective breeding. They mostly revolve around how far is too far. Since most experiments require apprval from one science institute or another, this may not be an issue at all, since something too extreme is highly likely to be stopped before it happens anyway.
