Blog # 4

Fatema Tuz Zohora

ENGL 101 – 0768

Dr. Vasileiou

Essay 01

Date: 10.10.2012

The feud between the Superhuman and ‘the other’

Genetic engineering is a term that some people associate with living a healthier life while others associate with meddling with human life form as we know it. Some people think that it is a way to live life at its fullest and others think that it is playing God. If used properly, genetic engineering can improve peoples’ lives by removing diseases from our bodies. At the same time, it can also remove our flaws and weaknesses that make us human. If we create genetically superior human, ‘the other’ human or the people who are born without any superior abilities would not support them.  On the other hand, the superior human may consider themselves entitled to take advantage of’ the other’ humans because they are not as capable as themselves. In Gattaca, we have seen an ordinary man Vincent to succumb to the circumstances and pose as Jerome Morrow in order to fulfill his dream to travel to the space. Although he did not commit any murder, he did disrupt the peace in the utopia known as Gattaca. So if created genetically engineered humans would seek to control their counterparts or destroy them. Thus a feud will ensue between these two groups. Historically similar feuds have caused loss of many lives.

         If genetically engineered represent the superior humans, they would seek to control the other and the superior humans want to take benefit from other people who were not genetically proved. This is so because super human would consider the others as “subhuman”. When we look back, the religious crusades that took place in the past, we see that a group or a missionary considered that people in a certain region were not enlightened and thus needed a new religion or a culture. The dominant group first tried convincing the sub humans verbally then forcibly and in the worst case annihilated them mercilessly. When Christopher Columbus conquered the new world inhabited by native people, he treated them as savages and took many lives. In Gattaca, there were two types of people – valid and invalid. The valid were genetically engineered, had no illnesses and possessed superior physical and mental abilities. The invalid were naturally born “God Children” who had flaws and were prone to illnesses. The superior believed that the invalid did not belong in their society and thus systematically restricted their access to opportunities in life. In order to attain the highest success in life, one must be born as valid in Gattaca. Otherwise a life full of humiliation and misery awaits the invalid. These two examples Columbus and Gattaca were society who thought that they were superior and tried to seek control over other.

No one likes a life of misery; especially when that person does not have any control over the situation. In a society where a group of people seek to dominate the others, sometimes the reaction of ‘the other’ is nothing but violence. We worship our football heroes, our actors, and famous people but if all of heroes came from genetically engineered children, the rest of us may not revere them as much. Instead we may resent their success as we cannot aspire to be like them. Similarly if using of genetic engineering enabled us to invent cancer drugs, it is unlikely that the drug will be free and will be accessible to ordinary people. In such a situation, the ordinary people will have no choice but to fight for their lives whether it is by stealing money to buy the drug or stealing the drug itself. The peace in the society will be disrupted though by the weaker group of people. In the essay, “The man on the moon” George J Annas explained that humans could be become immortal if their body functions were performed by machines but this will be the eradication of both human body and mind. So genetic engineering altering our genes, bring the gift of immortality to our species has placed us risk.

In present, scientists use genetic engineering to create better animals and food. But the genetic engineering food is an expensive technology. The farmers of developing countries could not be able to afford this. If all people will buy genetically modified food, the farmers of the world will causes genocidal destruction. Genetically engineering food will not be good for people’s health. It will create risk to people’s life expectancy. In the essay, Annas also explained that if these processes also apply to children or embryos improving their memory, immunity, strength and characteristics. This is dangerous for children because its poses a threat to children of treating them as manufactured products and also there are surgical ways to achieve this goal. So we should regulate species endangering experiments.

          In conclusion we should consider genetic engineering a risky science. The risk is in the hands of people who use this. We can use the science to cure diseases and grow better crops but we can also create an artificial scarcity of basic human necessities by restricting access to them to the less fortunate. Under no circumstances should we create a superior version of human as it is destined to create unrest in society. We should use this great science for the greater good of humanity where all people can live alongside each other with no concerns of being oppressed by the others.