# The Duty to Create the Best Child Has Limits by John Harris > “If there is a discernible duty here it is surely to create the best possible child. That is what it is to act for the best, all things considered. This we have moral reasons to do; but they are not necessarily overriding reasons.” > **— John Harris**, *The Guardian essay, December 2015* ## Sources and Context - **Primary or original-context publication:** [Harris’s Guardian essay](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/dec/02/why-human-gene-editing-must-not-be-stopped) — Harris's 2015 philosophical argument; the final non-overriding qualification is essential. - **Exact original wording:** “If there is a discernible duty here it is surely to create the best possible child. That is what it is to act for the best, all things considered. This we have moral reasons to do; but they are not necessarily overriding reasons.” ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley|The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Pearl Effect - Part 2 - Genetic Mimicry and the Dysgenic Impacts on Humanity|The Pearl Effect - Part 2 - Genetic Mimicry and the Dysgenic Impacts on Humanity]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Self-Directed Evolution|Self-Directed Evolution]] - [[wiki/Reproductive Sovereignty|Reproductive Sovereignty]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “If there is a discernible duty here it is surely to create the best possible child. That is what it is to act for the best, all things considered. This we have moral reasons to do; but they are not necessarily overriding reasons.” — John Harris, The Guardian essay, December 2015 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-john-harris-duty-create-best-child-has-limits ```