Bioethical Challenges of Genetic Intervention: A Critique of Principlism in the Era of CRISPR-Cas9; [Desafios bioéticos da intervenção genética: crítica ao principialismo na era do CRISPR-Cas9]

Ramos-Zaga F.A. · Dikaion (2026) · DOI: 10.5294/dika.2026.35.1.2

Resumen

In a landscape shaped by the rapid advancement of biomedical technologies, the possibility of intervening in the human germline introduces not only technical challenges but also an ontological horizon in which clinical decisions reshape the genetic legacy of individuals who do not yet exist. Against this background, the present article critically examines the limitations of principlist bioethics in relation to genetic editing through CRISPR-Cas9. The findings reveal that principlism retains structural constraints, insofar as it depends on categories centered on present subjects, individual autonomy, informed consent, and the assessment of immediate risks. Consequently, the emergence of CRISPR-Cas9 calls for a bioethical reformulation that expands and relocates that framework within a normative architecture capable of addressing trans-generational and globally distributed dilemmas. From this perspective, the analysis supports the need to move toward an ethics of constraint oriented to protecting future autonomy and the dignity of generations yet to come.

Instituciones: Universidad Privada del Norte