Human Genetic Engineering
Jose Vera
As we look forward to every new day ahead of us, we recognize the world is moving faster than ever before. We tend to remember simpler times where we didn’t rely on the technologies that we so critically depend on now. With our changing times we must embrace the possibilities of a bold new future. Our lives and those of our children will drastically change and a possible revolution in genetic engineering promises a new day for all of us. A world in which we would be able to choose our children’s physical appearance, cognitive abilities, and aptitudes would not be a thing of the past anymore. These twisting complexities of our human life will not just be an easy switch. It is not something that will just come about with no major repercussions or serious consequences. Genetic engineering will have a tremendous impact on our lives affecting the social and psychological aspects as well as the arguments that would surface economically, politically, and religiously. Crossing this threshold would irrevocably change the nature of human life and human society. It would change human nature as we know it and unleash unprecedented forces that would feed back upon themselves with impacts way beyond our ability to foresee, much less control.
With human genetic engineering, as with other things in life, there are two sides to every argument and story. To some people, this is a chance for a better and healthier life. To others it is being seen as a way to “play God” and a way to try and “program” a human being. Both views create valid arguments to discuss and valid sides to take. Genetic engineering could be used to enhance people’s lives from a positive view, but it could also turn into something detrimental to society and can create something that leads to the extinction of human life as we know it.
Creating a genetically engineered “species” or human would completely change the whole ball game. The changes that can be brought to existence through this would make
As we look forward to every new day ahead of us, we recognize the world is moving faster than ever before. We tend to remember simpler times where we didn’t rely on the technologies that we so critically depend on now. With our changing times we must embrace the possibilities of a bold new future. Our lives and those of our children will drastically change and a possible revolution in genetic engineering promises a new day for all of us. A world in which we would be able to choose our children’s physical appearance, cognitive abilities, and aptitudes would not be a thing of the past anymore. These twisting complexities of our human life will not just be an easy switch. It is not something that will just come about with no major repercussions or serious consequences. Genetic engineering will have a tremendous impact on our lives affecting the social and psychological aspects as well as the arguments that would surface economically, politically, and religiously. Crossing this threshold would irrevocably change the nature of human life and human society. It would change human nature as we know it and unleash unprecedented forces that would feed back upon themselves with impacts way beyond our ability to foresee, much less control.
With human genetic engineering, as with other things in life, there are two sides to every argument and story. To some people, this is a chance for a better and healthier life. To others it is being seen as a way to “play God” and a way to try and “program” a human being. Both views create valid arguments to discuss and valid sides to take. Genetic engineering could be used to enhance people’s lives from a positive view, but it could also turn into something detrimental to society and can create something that leads to the extinction of human life as we know it.
Creating a genetically engineered “species” or human would completely change the whole ball game. The changes that can be brought to existence through this would make
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