Be it Splice, Jurassic Park or Avatar – genetic engineering,
in any context, has been rendered questionable for decades.
The underlying distinction of the two articles is the timeframe;
where one was published in late 2003 and focuses on a transhumanistic approach
in communicating the various possibilities of gene editing. The other was
written in the post-CRISPR era, and concentrates on the morality, ethics and
legality of the various applications of this revolutionary technology.
Transhumanism looks at humanity from a unique angle. It expresses
the belief that the human race is still evolving and that, by means of science
and technology, we can surpass our current mental and physical limitations. The
author had a primarily positive outlook on the possibilities of human
enhancement, focusing on disease treatment and optimisation of existing human
genes (Bostrom, 2003). However, at that point in time there were no existing technologies to
perform these miracles, thus rendering everything afore mentioned to be merely
theoretical.
The numerous applications of CRISPR/cas9 (a method of genetic
modification, discovered in late 2012) have opened many doors. The second
article discusses the ethical and technological approaches to human enhancement
and, having been written post-CRISPR, the author considers these points with full
knowledge that human modification is no longer a theory (Brokowski, 2019). He examines the
possible consequences of employing such a powerful tool for enhancing the human
genome; something that, to this day, we do not fully understand.
The later article has a comparatively negative approach,
understandably so. When something as out-of-this-world as gene editing becomes
a reality, one can’t help but think long and hard about what they will say.
Especially for something as deeply controversial as genetic alteration of
germ-line cells (cells responsible for human reproduction, such as eggs and
sperm), which is essentially what human enhancement is.
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| Our view is restricted until the walls of impossibility are taken down. Image by Free-Photos, from Pixabay. |
With great power comes great responsibility, if the
technology that allows human modification is used for the wrong purpose, it
could become potentially catastrophic.
About The Author
The ability to hold breath for five minutes is a trait boasted by more than three people in my family; I am determined to endure a double major in chemistry and genetics in order to find out if there is a genetic factor. The name is Elizabeth Chernysheva, from Russia.
References
Bostrom,
N. (2003). Human genetic enhancements: A transhumanist perspective. Journal
of Value Inquiry; Dordrecht, 37(4), 493–506. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:INQU.0000019037.67783.d5
Brokowski,
C., & Adli, M. (2019). CRISPR ethics: Moral considerations for applications
of a powerful tool. Journal of Molecular Biology, 431(1), 88–101.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2018.05.044
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