Our Posthuman Future by Francis Fukuyama.
'' If the shortcut to immortality exists, the race is already on within the biotech industry to find it.''
In his book, Francis takes an argumentative approach to the subject of biotechnology and genetic engineering sector and the rapid rate of advancements in the same. What would its consequences be for mankind?
Ever since humans inhabited this planet some 2 million years ago, the pursuit to make life easy never ceased to be. The progress of all the hard work of thousands if not millions of years is what we know as the present today. But what does the future hold for us in its kitty? Especially as the global warming is leading to food chain depletion leading to abnormalities in newer generations. This is becoming a colossal problem of the 21st century. Francis talks at length about the hassles, as well as the measures required to tackle these problems. To what extent we as humans are striving to eradicate those issues. What role is biotechnology playing and how does it intend to rectify, humans if not environmental snag.
As Francis, explains nature vs nurture fundamentals of raising the peers. Moreover, what role does politics play in shaping the intellect of a country? He states that two identical twins with same genetic order brought up in different surroundings can turn out unlike. But on the other hand, two peers with different gene order brought up in same household can be very much alike. The endeavours to mould the future generations and modify the present generation is unethical but still there have been drugs like Ritalin and Prozac in existence to attain the androgynous median personality and socially compliant populace.
‘’We want people who are healthy, good natured, emotionally stable, sympathetic, and smart. We do not want paupers, criminals, idiots, and Imbeciles.’’-Justice Oliver Wendall Holmes Jr. Biotechnology has been toiling to fabricate methods for the purpose of attaining the more compliant generation. Treating depressed women with Prozac and hyperactive men with Ritalin laid out the groundwork for even more impactful methodology in genetic engineering. But who gets to decide what is normal behaviour, we as a specie are a by-product of an asteroid hitting this habitable sphere some 60 million years ago. We would have ceased to exist if it just went past flying. So how can one decide if the other is behaving normally or in this instance science deciding if one needs rectification.
Francis takes the counterintuitive approach and questions as to who should be responsible for overlooking and regulating the research. Furthermore, he clarifies on the possibility of violation of human rights if the decision to eugenics is put in the hands of science instead of individuals. Most governments as of today repel the idea of genetically modified embryos, maybe they have concrete reasons for it. Having designer babies is not only unethical but also tripling for demographic purposes.
European nations have been suffering with a rapid shortage of younger generation as the general approach to procreate has witnessed a downfall lately. If the life expectancy is to swell at the present rate, the political disorder is inevitable. Although, the modern biotechnology has led to consequences for world politics even before creating the first designer baby.
It would be monumental to see the cloning and treating abnormalities of the foetus in the embryo itself, given the prowess does not get abused. Because it is very unlikely that the world could come to an amicable regulatory order to overcome obstacles of human rights violations. Given the Nazi regime experimenting in concentration camps led to a world war. To survey this untreaded path we need to take into consideration the modern theories of rights and what role does politics play in our posthuman future.
Lastly, I am not against the modernization in biotech sector, but we need to ask ourselves. Can we comprehend right from wrong? Or we might thus emerge on the other side of human and posthuman history and witness that the watershed had been breached because we lost the sight of true essence of Humanity.
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