Well, when you start talking about multi-locus traits, often on a continuum, it becomes less clear if we can or should select/eliminate on that basis. Some researchers believe that some level of psychopathy can be adaptive for both the individual line and the species. It's more a question of degree.
Some harmful genes have been identified (see below), and I think that in the future, prospective parents who want to use technology to reduce the chance of their offspring having such genes should not be prevented from doing so.
Violence genes may be responsible for one in 10 serious crimesBy Sarah Knapton, Science Editor
The Telegraph
12:58PM GMT 28 Oct 2014
The genes for extremely violent behaviour have been discovered by scientists who fear they may be responsible for one in 10 serious crimes.
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden analysed the genetic make-up of 895 criminals from Finland to see if violence was in their DNA.
The majority of violent crime is committed by a small group of antisocial, repeat offenders, who seem incapable of rehabilitation.
Now scientists believe they have found which genes are responsible for high levels of rage and violence. They believe that they could be responsible for up to 10 per cent of serious crime in Finland.
The criminals who had committed the most serious crimes, such as murder, were found to have variants of two genes; monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) and cadherin 13 (CDH13).
MAOA is linked to dopamine levels in the brain, a chemical which makes people feel happy and fulfilled. CDH13 is linked to impulse control.
