The Case Against Perfection

Michael Sandel's 2007 work examines the ethical implications of using biotechnology to enhance human traits and eliminate genetic diseases. The book argues against the "Promethean" impulse to remake human nature through genetic engineering, contending that such efforts reflect a troubling desire for mastery and control that undermines humility and acceptance.

Sandel distinguishes between treating disease and enhancing traits, exploring how genetic enhancement threatens important human values including solidarity, equality, and the appreciation of life's "giftedness." He examines concrete cases—from selecting for deafness to engineering athletic or intellectual superiority—to illustrate how enhancement technologies could exacerbate social inequality and erode the moral restraint necessary for a just society.

The work became influential in bioethics and policy debates, shaping discussions about genetic modification, human enhancement, and the limits of technological intervention in human nature. It reflects Sandel's broader philosophical project of defending communitarian values against libertarian and utilitarian frameworks that treat human traits as commodities to be optimized.