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Genetic engineering ethical implications
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Gattaca is a movie directed by Andrew Niccol and the film is set in the "not too distant future." Andrew Niccol's perception of the future isn't what most people expect, but once thought about carefully it seems quite believable. This movie presents us with a new method in which society strives for perfection and it also makes us wonder if genetic engineering is morally correct. Your place in society in Gattaca is based on your genetic makeup and the way you were born. People born the way we know as natural are "in-valids". On the other hand people born with the aid of genetic engineering are "valids." An "in-valid" has his future set out to be a cleaner or other insignificant job in society which doesn't require an education. A new form of prejudice has been recently debated about, which is the idea of having greater or second-rate genes.
Within the movie, the natural method of birth is genetic engineering, which is unlike what our society perceives to be natural. Genetic engineering leads to genetic selection from the parents who choose to eliminate any defects, diseases or genetic illnesses. Some parents may want to leave several genetic traits to chance rather then selecting the attributes of their son or daughter. To what extent is this process of conception morally right, if even right at all? Morally speaking, genetic engineering in any conception should only be used in extreme circumstances. If the natural method of conception isn't possible in the parents then genetic engineering should be the last resort, but only if the genetic changes take place to provide a healthy child, not to give this child any known advantages over other children born "naturally".
Jerome has a high rank of genes and is considered to be "elite" in all aspects; these expectations of him are what lead him to suicide and mental difficulties. Elite genes are a burden to live with for Jerome, as he has to live up to societies expectations of success and a major contribution to the development of society. The movie Gattaca suggests that your genetic makeup isn't entirely what makes up who you are, this is shown when Vincent says "after all there is no gene for fate." Will power and the inspiration for success play a greater role in the outcome of your life. In the end, this film has proven to us that no one is perfect, your identity and who you are is up to you and what your make yourself to be in the eyes of others.
Is it good to have? I believe that humans will eventually have to cross this bridge of interfering with nature or not. I see the positives and negatives on boths sides of the argument. However, collectively, I believe that genetically engineering children to the extent of that in the movie is a bad. I believe this for several reasons, one being that there, as seen in the movie, would be very little excitement about anything and everything would lack passion. Everyone who works at Gattaca is very bleak and shows no emotion for fear of being judged by other people. Another reason is that no one would really succeed at anything, and it would not be impressive if they did because they were only fulfilling their potential predicted at birth. If someone were to be faster than others, it would be expected because of their genes, and have nothing to do with personal training or effort. The only thing one could do is fail. Jerome had one of the best possible genetic codes and he only managed to win second place after being guaranteed first. If they do not live up to what has been decided about them, they only see themselves as failure. The biggest reason though, not to engineer your children, is the same as we see in the movie, discrimination because they lack a preferred genotype. Vincent was looked down upon, and was only ever expected to mop the floors superior people worked on. Not everyone
A person's individuality begins at conception and develops throughout life. These natural developments can now be changed through genetically engineering a human embryo. Through this process, gender, eye and hair color, height, medical disorders, and many more qualities can be changed. I believe genetically engineering a human embryo is corrupt because it is morally unacceptable, violates the child's rights, and creates an even more divided society.
Rather than leave genetics up to chance, technology offers expectant parents the opportunity to genetically enhance their children before they’re born. These genetically superior offspring are known as “valids” and are given the best opportunity in Gattaca’s society. For example, when Vincent, an invalid, borrows the identity of the valid Jerome Morrow, an interview to work for Gattaca consists only of a urine test. It’s assumed that his genes carry all his potential. There’s no need for him to answer questions his DNA can answer for him.
...e the quality of life of children. A big consequence to the use of genetic modification, shown in the movie Gattaca, is the prejudice that can be against those without genetic modifications. To create an idea of what the consequences of genetic modification will look like, a real world example would be racism and the use of eugenics to justify the prejudice against those who were not light-skinned or of caucasian descent. Neo eugenics is a very controversial topic that has a lot of possible benefits and consequences and will affect many generations to come.
When one thinks of a society of genetically advanced individuals at first glance it might seem like an advantage, but upon taking a closer look you can see the flaws in these perfect people. The world of Gattaca is superficial and judgmental; the only way to measure the worth of a person is by the wholesomeness of one's blood. They do not know for sure that someone will die or develop a heart condition all they have to work with is a percentage of the chance of it happening. This brands the world of Gattaca as an unfit and inferior world than our own. When a society discriminates against a group of people they lose valuable and productive members of society. In Gattaca the hardest working, most driven person was someone that they thought should
In 1997, Andrew Niccol produced the movie GATTACA. The movie described a world with genetically modified humans, modified at birth to be the perfect child their parents always wanted. In the 1990s, the movie seemed like a science fiction fantasy, but recent advances in biomedical procedure have started to make it a reality. While a future full of genetic engineering may be an intriguing notion, the human genome should be left alone. Humans should not be tampered with.
The children that are genetically modified are called “valids” and the children that are not are called “invalids.” Vincent Freeman was born an invalid and genetic testing noticed that he would most likely have a disorder when he was older, limiting his expected life span to be 30.2 years old. As an invalid, Vincent was restricted to menial jobs while his younger, genetically modified brother was able to work a professional job. Vincent’s wanted to become an astronaut his entire life, but there was no way he would be able to due to the genetic testing that was required upon applying. Unlike all other invalids, Vincent never gave up hope and was able to become an astronaut by tricking the valids into thinking he was Jerome Morrow, a valid who became paralyzed. By altering his height, and using hair, blood, and urine samples from Jerome, Vincent was able to pass the genetic testing stage and prove himself as a top employee of Gattaca. Even while working at Gattaca, Vincent had to be on the top of his game to not let others know his true identity, otherwise he would be relegated back to the world of the invalids.
To choose for their children, the world’s wealthy class will soon have options such as tall, pretty, athletic, intelligent, blue eyes, and blonde hair. Occasionally referred to as similar to “the eugenics of Hitler’s Third Reich” (“Designer Babies” n.p.), the new genetics technology is causing differences in people’s opinions, despite altering DNA before implantation is “just around the corner.” (Thadani n.p.). A recent advance in genetically altering embryos coined “designer babies” produces controversy about the morality of this process.
Firstly, a concerning issues related with the enhancement of characteristics through genetic means is discrimination in society. The text “Flowers for Algernon” epitomizes discrimination, where the protagonist Charlie Gordon undergoes a revolutionary change from his mental disability to a genius through an experimental surgery. Following the experiment, his intelligence escalates to a degree such that he progressively becomes isolated from the rest of society. Furthermore, Gordon explains his new intelligence to have “driven a wedge between [him] and all the people [he] once knew and loved” and expresses that “people don’t talk to [him] anymore and it makes [his] job lonely” (insert reference). This reveals a form of discrimination between the upper class and lower class individuals. Likewise, the film “Gattaca” depicts discrimination through the contrast of individual characters. The protagonist Vincent Freeman, is a naturally conceived baby who inherits a “99% probability [of developing] a heart disorder and a subsequent life expectancy of 30.2 years” (insert reference). In contrast, Vincent’s younger brother Anton has been artificially conceived providing him with physical advantages complemented with remarkable ...
The ethics behind genetic engineering have been discussed and argued for years now. Some arguing points often include competitive advantages, playing God, and the polarization of society, but Sandel takes a different approach in explaining society’s “unease” with the morality of genetic engineering. Broadcasted through several examples throughout the book, Sandel explains that genetic engineering is immoral because it takes away what makes us human and makes us something else. He states that by taking control of our genetic makeup, or the makeup of our progeny, we lose our human dignity and humility. Our hunger for control will lead to the loss of appreciation for natural gifts, whether they are certain talents, inherited from the genetic lottery, or the gift of life itself.
What do one think of when they hear the words “Designer Babies”? A couple designing their own baby of course, and it’s become just that. Technology has made it possible for there to be a way for doctors to modify a babies characteristics and its health. Genetically altering human embryos is morally wrong, and can cause a disservice to the parents and the child its effecting.
Scientists have edited the DNA of non- viable embryos. It is argued that it’s the first step for parents being able to design their own children. Sarah Knapton (April 23) stresses the risks of Genetic Engineering by questioning the motivations of Genetic scientists. By stating that these genetic scientists want their names in a history books. Genetic engineering implies ethical issues and safety issues. Oxford professor conducted a test. 71 embryos survived and 54 were genetically tested. 28 were spliced and some of the contained a replacement genetic material. It was found that there was unexpected mutations that shouldn’t off been effected by the technique. However, the Chinese scientist states that the embryos were non-viable. Is this a safe practice if the researchers are contradicting themselves? Universal laws guided by ideologies that help promote the health and wellbeing of society using principles of equality and justice. Equality and justice are two values that need to be incorporated in this practice to make sure the focus on genetic engineering will be utilized for life saving reasons.
Troy has a lower-middle/working class occupation - a garbage man. In Troy's mind, this job is something that enables him to survive thus far. Growing up, Troy experiences many hardships. Escaping an abusive father, Troy corrupts his life with a passion for thievery and irresponsible actions. For example, Troy impregnates a woman; the woman gave birth to Lyons. Because of Troy's irresponsible lifestyle, he is sent to jail; Lyons grows up without a father. Upon obtaining this job, Troy thinks it is one of the most stable aspects of his life. Stability, security, and success - this occupation brings many enhancements into Troy's life. Having a steady income changes his personal ideology of what character traits an African-American male should possess; in particular, what character traits his sons should possess. Troy's son Lyons now lives as a musician. To Troy, musicianship as a career does not provide that level of stability his job as a garbage man provides. Telling Lyons his point of view, Troy says the following:
It is undeniable that rapid technological and scientific progress not only improves convenience and efficiency of our daily life, but also causes ethical concerns to humanity where science and technology intersect with society from different disciplinary aspects. In particular, preimplantation genetic technology could have altered society into a genetic hierarchy, establishing a dystopian society accompanied by genetic discrimination. GATTACA, made in 1997, is an intriguing science fiction film directed by Andrew Niccol, that delivers an insight into how the world has perceived genetic engineering and draws on challenges over reproductive technologies to facilitate eugenics, and the possible consequences of such technological developments for the individual and society if such progress goes unchecked. Niccol presents Vincent Freeman, the protagonist as a representative of those who are born naturally, therefore he is seen as imperfect and ‘invalid’, no matter how hard he attempts and holds a bigger dream than ‘valids’ who had their genes selected so they could be as perfect as possible, yet he is never accepted and treated as inferior, second-class citizens.
In the movie Gattaca, the label was described with the two words Invalid or valid. Those words will define the social level of each one and that person will need to live with that label for the whole life. In the movie, Vincent was told that he will have a heart condition that he will not be capable to do things that the genetically perfect were capable to do, and he act like that in the beginner, when he could not follow his brother into the sea, but he surpass the label and showed that he could go further than his brother into the