At a time of rapid and unceasing technological change, the very notion of human nature can itself become volatile. The confused executive orders of the Trump administration, where transgenderism is out but IVF is in, are emblematic of our moment in time and an excellent example of the problem. 

It is no profound insight to note that one of the great challenges of our time is how to respond to the speed of technological change. This bites hardest in the realm of ethics. Tomorrow’s technology will raise questions before we’ve had a chance to answer those posed by the innovations of today. Trying to predict what those will be is a fool’s game. Fifty years ago, outside of the sphere of the specialist, not many would have foreseen the challenges posed by gene editing or artificial intelligence.

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