Gattaca: Ethical implication of genetic determinism.
Soo Kim
25FEB13
Gattaca: Ethical implication of genetic determinism.
Genetic engineering, via cloning, eugenics, or manipulation of DNA, presents important and often chilling possibilities for the future of mankind. Of course, we can be comforted by the hope of Jesus Christ’s appearing before humankind is able to completely ensnare itself in its misapplication of knowledge. But we still give some thought to where the future could be heading, and how scientists who believe in random evolution will contradict their convictions and attempt to direct the evolution of the human species.
I have watched the film Gattaca 1997, a setting that takes future world where genetic engineering is the norm, dramatically portraying how human beings are more than their “genetic potential” and ought to be to be free to pursue their dreams without being discriminated against because they are thought to be genetically inferior. Neither should they be granted “elite status” without demonstrating character and integrity. In the end, character wins out over genetic programming, and sacrificially giving one’s all to discover his or her potential is ethically superior to passively believing that one’s potential can be determined by his or her genetic programming. Human beings are “made of the stuff of stars” (i.e., in the image of God), and should be treated with respect because of their amazing ability to exceed their “potential.”
The film explores this issue of human freedom by juxtaposing the engineered with the “accidental.” Victor is a “God-child,” conceived by accident in the back of a car and has various genetic “abnormalities” in his health profile as a result. His roommate Jerome Morrow began life as a perfectly engineered “superior” but was injured in a car accident. How the two young men choose to deal with their circumstances reveals a life-and-death struggle between two competing philosophies. Morrow’s life is marked by pathetic attempts to assert his genetic
25FEB13
Gattaca: Ethical implication of genetic determinism.
Genetic engineering, via cloning, eugenics, or manipulation of DNA, presents important and often chilling possibilities for the future of mankind. Of course, we can be comforted by the hope of Jesus Christ’s appearing before humankind is able to completely ensnare itself in its misapplication of knowledge. But we still give some thought to where the future could be heading, and how scientists who believe in random evolution will contradict their convictions and attempt to direct the evolution of the human species.
I have watched the film Gattaca 1997, a setting that takes future world where genetic engineering is the norm, dramatically portraying how human beings are more than their “genetic potential” and ought to be to be free to pursue their dreams without being discriminated against because they are thought to be genetically inferior. Neither should they be granted “elite status” without demonstrating character and integrity. In the end, character wins out over genetic programming, and sacrificially giving one’s all to discover his or her potential is ethically superior to passively believing that one’s potential can be determined by his or her genetic programming. Human beings are “made of the stuff of stars” (i.e., in the image of God), and should be treated with respect because of their amazing ability to exceed their “potential.”
The film explores this issue of human freedom by juxtaposing the engineered with the “accidental.” Victor is a “God-child,” conceived by accident in the back of a car and has various genetic “abnormalities” in his health profile as a result. His roommate Jerome Morrow began life as a perfectly engineered “superior” but was injured in a car accident. How the two young men choose to deal with their circumstances reveals a life-and-death struggle between two competing philosophies. Morrow’s life is marked by pathetic attempts to assert his genetic