With the progress we are making with genetic technologies, in the near future people may be able to change their existing DNA.
Also, thanks to the human genome project we have been mapping out more and more genetic sequences, eventually we will be able to start linking nearly every gene to it’s owner’s physical manifestation of such. And so we will be able to tell which genes do what.
Do you feel this progression is beneficial to mankind?
Is there someway we can structure it or alter society to our advantage?
What are the implications of having access to such technology and knowing what traits other people posses?
What do you think will happen to those for or against it?
If it is still ethically moderated like it is now, then I don’t see why not. We have to be careful though.
I would imagine it would first eradicate some diseases and maybe even slow the 900 signs of ageing. Certainly it could benefit us but it might give rise to problems too.
You might see the rise of religious groups or even secular groups who eschew the natural over the artificial. It could even lead to terrorism against genetic labs and people who accept genetic alteration.
Unless it’s potentially accessible to all it may cause serious discontent amongst those classes that weren’t able to access it as well. It could for example create classes in itself, genetically modified people and naturals.
How would the ethics of it be decided, and what would happen if one violated said ethics?
Such as?
Well one side would definitely be better equipped if a war broke out.
A somewhat socialist society would have to employ it then, otherwise we’d end up with the movie Gattaca. Regardless the two classes would create themselves even if the option were open to all due to those against its implementation.
Yes. That, I believe is the original idea behind genetic engineering.
The potential is tremendous; but the risk is also there.
Those who wish to remain natural will likely stigmatize those who choose to be genetically engineered. They will probably push themselves in the opposite direction, towards pastoralism (maybe even embrace paganism). Their counterparts will either transcend into something different (greater?), if they succeed or eventually self-destruct, if they fail.
No I actually have quite the opposite in mind. Rather than a singular race of supposed “super humans” we instead have immense genetic diversity to tackle the variety of tasks and workloads that need to be accomplished. Thus people would be specialized genetically, and could alter their specialization at any point (if necessity dictated such).
A totally pimpable model human would be great from the perspective of racism and sexism, as these distinctions would become simply matters of taste. On the other hand an incentive toward geno-fixing as a career move, that’s the caste system right their on a plate.
“Hey gorgeous super-model, meet Trog, the geno-fixed sewage disposal technician. Mind the ooze.”
It would serve fashion, and homogeny. We’d all look like Brittany, or some fucking vampire wannabe from Buffy. Let’s also hope someone pushes compulsary but reversable sterility through too.
3 requirements for an ideal genetically engineered society.
-Advanced genetic engineering which allows the altering of a preexisting individual’s DNA (duh)
Immortality in the form of eternal youth.
The ability to move up and down the “caste” system’s ladder.
Thus at first job’s would be delegated according to genetic make up and one could enhance their ability to preform such tasks with gene therapy, and if one we unsatisfied with their position they could apply for another and be put in a queue. Or better yet everyone could be “programmed” to be satisfied and there would be a rotation of roles over the course of a couple decades to break up monotony (though I do have a cool idea for entertainment in such a society).
It’s part of the deal, not in the fine print either, right there on the front of the contract.
In an ideal situation one wouldn’t need “juice” just a stable genetic encoding.
I’m sure many others will too, it’s a would be a voluntary choice to become part of something like i described, I myself probably wouldn’t be a part of it, just something fun to toy around with.
My knowledge of DNA is very limited, but as far as i know, there must have been a preexisting body construct for an organism. Yeah, I know. It sucks. We cant grow wings, ever.
Though, of course, this doesn’t mean we cant manipulate DNA to do less awesome things… There are very many factors which play in our body, during development and living, all so intricately It leads me to think that genetic engineering would be a limited field, at least for another while. Until we can control the very many side affects it would generate.
So basically, its not as awesome as it sounds…
What Thomas Locke said about humans being similar when compared to one another, I think, would remain true.
Genetic engineering should be beneficial to society, but not at the detriment of… which is where ethics would step in, I guess - a society without ethical values would become a lawless one, so would be beneficial to no-one.
Pshhh…Yeah because we all know how ethical human beings are…right?..
A society with laws merely legalized oppression and inequality by giving off the illusion that it is somehow more better than other competing societies.
I imagine a society that revolves around social genetic engineering to be a completely oppressive one like somthing on the lines of the movie Gattaca.
I think genetic engineering will eventually form a super species, one that is much superior to the average joe six pack. It will happen in slow incremental steps, but the end result will be a species that is not recognizable to the current animal prototype. We will merge with technology in ways that we cannot comprehend at our current level. Fetuses will be manufactures outside the human body, and it may be advantageous for each individual to have both sex organs. I see the species evolving passed marriage, romantic relationships and all the rest of it. Reproduction will happen more at the individual level, and compassionate robots and will be programmed to raise children until they reach the age of reason where they can have intelligent conversations with intellectuals. I see all this happening in the next 500 years.
That is if we survive by not destroying our planet or nuking each other. ; )
I certainly don’t mind it…I’m looking forward to getting my own scouter.
It’s coming. But to call us prototypes? Come on now. I think evolution has done a damn good job over the past few million years. We’ll continue to evolve in response to our environment, which now includes machines and computers.
No need for a ‘prototype’ and a ‘finished product’, or to assume that one generation of man is better than another. Just different. Sometimes better, sometimes worse.
