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The Dangers of Genetic Engineering
Science is defined as knowledge based on observed facts and tested truths arranged in an orderly system. It has had an extreme effect on technology, which covers production, transportation, and even entertainment. In the past, though, science has always remained distant. However, with the birth of genetic engineering, science has become something that will deeply affect lives. Advancements are being made daily with genetic engineering: the Human Genome Project is nearly done, gene replacement therapy lies within reach, and cloning is on the horizon. Genetically altered foods have already become an important aspect of life with "new and better varieties" (Bier, 2001, p.65) and even the possibilities of solving world hunger. There is no doubt of the benefits that genetic engineering can offer society, but can scientists look that far ahead and truly say what is for the good of society?
Does the world understand genetics enough to welcome the possibilities with open arms? Society often runs away or hides from problems, but with genetic engineering it cannot ignore the possible outcomes whether good or bad. Genetic engineering is clearly beneficial to all kinds of people, but it is possible that negative issues exist which could counteract any good results. "In the near term, there are some very interesting and important issues that we all should consider as a society because they raise potentially profound moral and ethical questions" (Bier, 2001, p. 70). Such issues are that of discrimination and the dangers and difficulty in making ethical decisions. It is society's duty to step back and view these issues before pursuing genetic research and heading down a destructive path.
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Web: http://www.ehrweb.aaas.org/her/books/index.html
Bier, E. (2001). "The Future of Biology and Man." In T. Clayton (Ed.), Exploring
Human Identity (5th ed.) (pp. 60-81). Copley Custom Publishing Group, Acton, MA.
Darwin, C. (2001). Excerpts from the writings of Charles Darwin: "The Origin of
Species and The Descent of Man." J. Wagner (Ed.) found at
http://www.zoo.uib.no/classics/origin.html and
http://www.zoo.uib.no/classics/descent.html
Egan, G. (2001). "The Extra." In T. Clayton (Ed.), Exploring Human Identity (5th ed.)
(pp. 60-81). Copley Custom Publishing Group, Acton, MA.
Gattaca, screenplay by Andrew M. Niccol.
Hobbes, T. (2001). "from Leviathan." In T. Clayton (Ed.), Exploring Human Identity
(5th ed.) (pp. 60-81). Copley Custom Publishing Group, Acton, MA.
Shelley, M. (1991). Frankenstein. New York: Bantam Books.
Science and technology are rapidly advancing everyday; in some ways for the better, and in some, for worse. One extremely controversial advance is genetic engineering. As this technology has high potential to do great things, I believe the power genetic engineering is growing out of control. Although society wants to see this concept used to fight disease and illness, enhance people 's lives, and make agriculture more sustainable, there needs to be a point where a line is drawn.
There is always debate over human genetic engineering. Disputes over human genetic engineering concern the means for achieving assumed ends, rather than being a healthy discussion about the ends themselves. This book not only explores how decisions about the ethics of human genetic engineering are made, but also shows how the structure of the debate has led to the technological choices we now face.
Genetic engineering has been around for many years and is widely used all over the planet. Many people don’t realize that genetic engineering is part of their daily lives and diet. Today, almost 70 percent of processed foods from a grocery store were genetically engineered. Genetic engineering can be in plants, foods, animals, and even humans. Although debates about genetic engineering still exist, many people have accepted due to the health benefits of gene therapy. The lack of knowledge has always tricked people because they only focused on the negative perspective of genetic engineering and not the positive perspective. In this paper, I will be talking about how Genetic engineering is connected to Brave New World, how the history of genetic engineering impacts the world, how genetic engineering works, how people opinions are influenced, how the side effects can be devastating, how the genetic engineering can be beneficial for the society and also how the ethical issues affect people’s perspective.
Genetic Engineering has recently become a contentious topic within medical and social circles. Controversial topics such as Sex Selection and Designer Babies are linked to Genetic engineering. They are destructive in every circumstance. Genetic Engineering is detrimental towards the individual and all posterity.
Widely considered a revolutionary scientific breakthrough, genetic engineering has been on a path toward changing the world since its introduction in 1973 by Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer (What). However, as genetic engineering slowly permeates the lives of humanity, the morals and ethics behind what are now common practices are entering public attention, and as a culture we are left to question whether the change brought on by such a discovery bring benefits and positive change, or damage and destruction. Genetic engineering is justified through applied bioethics and despite arguments against its societal implantation, should be fully utilized in efforts to develop into the 21st century.
Although many outcomes of genetic engineering can be considered positive because they benefit humankind, genetic engineering has much more disadvantages which pose a much more negative effect on society. If humankind cannot come to an agreement on genetic engineering then the result could be a war much more destructive than wars like World War II. “Genetic engineering also brings with it concerns over intellectual property, and patenting of created animals and/or techniques used to create them (Hormany, et al).” Genetic engineering should be banned regardless of the benefits.
Genetic Engineering in humans is a highly controversial topic of discussion. The possibilities that it offers to new medical worlds is groundbreaking, but what are the risks? This is a frequently asked question, presenting valid arguments from both perspectives. Like many Biological predicaments, ethical issues tend to clash with that of unseen medical possibilities, resulting in debates and discussions continuously unfolding on the controversial issue.
Genetic engineering is the set of techniques used to manipulate and modify the genetic material of living beings that have been the key to the rapid development of modern biotechnology. Recombination mechanisms provide limited genetic exchange. Mankind has spent his life correcting the habits of nature to make it to his liking, so that it would be more helpful; Mankind has transformed plants to make them more useful for their crops, has domesticated animals so that they could help them with the tasks of the field. In short, that man has modeled the nature around him to the point that can frighten us and everything. Mankind uses the universality of the genetic code and the mechanisms of protein synthesis of living things, in order to try the controlled combination of DNA of different species. The great advances in knowledge are beginning to allow genetic manipulation of human beings to eliminate hereditary illnesses or perhaps in the not so distant future to modify the human species. And of course at this horizon appear from various sectors multitude of voices appealing to an ethereal ethics warn us of the terrible dangers to modify our "sacred" DNA but why do not we do it?
The advent of genetic engineering leads to many medical and agricultural innovations that benefit the world. From preventing/curing diseases, to increasing agriculture production, the miraculous effects of genetic engineering are the next step in evolution for the scientific community. The benefits of such powerful technology may seem like science fiction, however, it is very possible that genetic engineering may become an everyday occurrence in the years to come. However, such advancements in technology, especially since genetic engineering is in its infancy, often have questionable ethical concerns. Ethical concerns such as human rights, equal distribution, and long-term outcomes/effects, often appear as important areas of discussion for those who question the morality that is involved in genetic engineering. Three ethical concerns pertaining to genetic engineering are Eudaimonistic Utilitarianism, Libertarianism, and Distributive Justice. Eudaimonistic Utilitarianism can be described as
Technology has a significant influence across the world, as it has become a fast growing field. Modern biotechnology has been in the major forefront of this influence. From the discovery of DNA to the cloning of various animals, the study of genetic engineering has changed the way society views life. However, does genetic engineering have the capacity to influence the world to its best abilities? Products, which are genetically engineered, may cause severe negative effects on our society. This industry, carrying the potential of leading us toward the unnatural selection of humans to possibly environmental disasters will put humankind in peril. Society, along with humankind, will be in jeopardy since to genetic engineering has the potential of being disastrous.
If a limit is not set between using genetic engineering for treatment and using genetic engineering for enhancement, then many parents could use it purely for eugenic purposes. This could cause ethical concerns but social concerns as well. If this was allowed to occur, it would also give the rich even more advantages than they already have to begin with and drive the social classes even farther apart. The use of genetic engineering may also lead to genetic discrimination. As in the movie Gattaca, a person could easily get a print-out of his or her genotype, this information could then be used by schools, employers, companies, and others; giving rise to a new form of discrimination based on a person’s genetic profile. As the world is already full of discrimination, genetic engineering would even increase the numbers of discrimination against people.
Imagine a future where everyone is perfect. Where no one is judged for being ugly because everyone is beautiful and flawless, where each individual is gifted in a specific category and they excel and go beyond what an average mundane could. This is a possible scene we may encounter in the future if we allow the research of genetically- modified embryos or better yet GM babies to continue. It is a topic that has been discussed for quite some time. For some people this interests them in the sense that we can become the best versions of ourselves, simply by changing our genes. Not only that but we can also find paths that can lead to cure certain diseases and keep future generations from inheriting them. The idea seems appealing to many but there are disadvantage people question regarding the topic of genetic modification. Some ask if it is ethical to
With all factors put into place the potential benefits of perfecting human genetic engineering far outweigh the negatives. A world with genetic engineering is a world that would be advantageous to all who undergo the procedure to positively modify their DNA. A genetically engineered human race will be able to have defeated all genetic mutations and diseases, rid humans of possible illnesses in young and unborn children, create drastically longer lifespans, and provide generations with a high quality of life. Human genetic engineering has progressed more rapidly than projected; according to Stephen Hawking, when human genetic engineering is consummated he hypothesizes, “With genetic engineering, we will be able to increase the complexity of our DNA, and improve the human race. But it will be a slow process, because one will have to wait about 18 years to see the effect of changes to the genetic code.”(Hawking). The advancements that genetic engineering will provide for the human race is incredible and we will soon benefit from science and technology more than ever
In conclusion and my personal opinion, genetic engineering could lead to a technically better and more advanced world despite the fact that it suffers from deep moral downfalls. The main issue that causes debate seems to be if artificial superiority is a viable alternative to nature. It could work in society if people only used it for things such as evading cancer, but if a new social class is formed or people start creating super humans, it’s unquestionably a problem.
Scientists and the general population favor genetic engineering because of the effects it has for the future generation; the advanced technology has helped our society to freely perform any improvements. Genetic engineering is currently an effective yet dangerous way to make this statement tangible. Though it may sound easy and harmless to change one’s genetic code, the conflicts do not only involve the scientific possibilities but also the human morals and ethics. When the scientists first used mice to practice this experiment, they “improved learning and memory” but showed an “increased sensitivity to pain.” The experiment has proven that while the result are favorable, there is a low percentage of success rate. Therefore, scientists have concluded that the resources they currently own will not allow an approval from the society to continually code new genes. While coding a new set of genes for people may be a benefitting idea, some people oppose this idea.