In the past, humans were considered creatures of God, but with the advent of evolutionary theory, they have taken on the role of creators themselves. Now, attempts are underway to create a new human race through genetic manipulation, which poses significant ethical and social challenges for the future of humanity.
Historically, humans have been considered creatures of God. Human civilization began more than 3500 years ago, so for roughly half a millennium, humans have considered themselves to be the work of someone else. This idea was slowly pushed aside by evolutionary theory in the 19th century when Charles Darwin wrote The Origin of Species. The Origin of Species states that all living things have evolved into what they are today. In other words, life is the work of time, not God. Therefore, when humans rejected creationism and accepted evolution, they abandoned the idea that they are creatures. In other words, man refused to be a creature of someone else.
Now, humans want to create new life forms. In the past, the only way humans improved life was through natural improvement through breeding. Today, attempts are being made to improve life by directly manipulating genes. So far, this has been limited to relatively small organisms such as bacteria and mice, but in the near future, we may even be able to tinker with our own genes.
But here we have to ask an important question. Is it ethically justifiable for humans to manipulate their own genes? Genetic manipulation is more than just biological modification; it can change the very nature of human beings. Genetic modification to increase our intelligence or maximize our physical abilities has the potential to increase social inequality. Will the new human beings created through such manipulations have the same rights as existing humans, or should they be excluded from the category of “human”?
Furthermore, what kind of social structure will we have when genetic modification becomes widespread? The conflict between a new species with superior intelligence and physical abilities and the rest of us has the potential to shake the very foundations of society. If economic and social inequality is justified by biological differences, humanity is likely to enter a new class society. In that society, the new species will form an elite class and may even dominate the current human population. This situation will lead to new forms of interpersonal discrimination and oppression, which will inevitably lead to violent conflict.
One interesting experiment involving genetic manipulation is the enhancement of intelligence through genetic modification. According to a 1999 paper in Nature, it was possible to increase the intelligence of mice through genetic manipulation. Therefore, manipulating human genes could lead to a more intelligent human race. Although no human genetic modification experiments have been carried out, there is no guarantee that they won’t happen in the future. If genetic manipulation experiments continue, at some point the test subjects will become human. And we know what the altered genes do to the organism. Genetically engineered plants are more resistant to pests and produce higher yields. If we were to modify the genes of humans, they could be more intelligent, live longer, and have an advantage in physical strength.
To answer that question, we can look at how humans, who evolved from monkeys, currently view monkeys. Do we worship monkeys just because we evolved from them? No. We think of them as zoo animals. The relationship between the new species and humanity will be similar. The new species will look down on us because they are superior. They will feel inferior to their own creation, the human race. This lack of respect for each other and the buildup of ill will could eventually lead to war between the New Worlds and the current human race. Just as humans refused to be the creation of God, so the New Races may refuse to be the creation of humanity anymore and turn against their creator.
So how would this war between races end? Einstein once said that in World War IV, the weapons will be sticks and stones. What he meant by this was that by the time World War III broke out, humanity was completely capable of destroying its own civilization. Even today, humanity has weapons that are capable of completely destroying itself. The weapons that will be used in a war in the distant future will also be powerful enough to erase civilization from the face of the earth. Both sides will use weapons of such terrifying power to win the war, and all that will be left afterward will be a scarred victory, or perhaps a deserted ruin. Either way, it seems unlikely that the current human race will escape destruction.
Genetic manipulation is already a raging torrent, and it’s hard to stop it. At any moment, a new genetically engineered human being may be standing next to us. The new human we have created may at some point become the arrow aimed at our throats, and that arrow will be sharp enough to exterminate the human race.
