Genetic modification technology has the potential to improve the quality of life and dignity of humans by eliminating birth defects and diseases, and enhancing appearance and intelligence. However, the use of this technology can raise social and ethical issues, which require thorough regulation and research to address.
If genetic manipulation became possible, would you choose the appearance, intelligence, personality, aptitudes, and physical conditions of your unborn child? There are no side effects, and if you want a perfect child, this technology will give you exactly what you want. There would be no lifelong suffering from a birth disorder, no depression due to ugly appearance, no genetic disease, no inability to keep up in class due to lack of intelligence. Furthermore, these technologies can improve the overall quality of human life. For example, a child could be born with a natural talent for a particular sport or artistic ability, allowing them to excel in that field. If these genetic modification techniques become commonplace, the abilities and potential of the human race as a whole will increase.
The 1997 movie “Ghost in the Shell” depicts a futuristic society where genetic manipulation is able to create the perfect human being. While removing genes for bad traits is called passive genetic modification, replacing them with genes for good traits is called active genetic modification, and in “Kataka,” a child is born with perfect physical health, appearance, and intelligence through active genetic modification. It’s no longer just a pipe dream, and if science and technology continue to advance at the rate they are, it may one day become a reality. Although there are many social and moral issues involved in this issue, we cannot give up on human genetic modification, because not only are the possibilities for humanity overwhelming, but the problems it poses can be overcome.
If genetic modification becomes a reality, we can dream of a world free of disabilities and diseases. At the same time, however, these technologies can raise social and ethical issues. There are inevitably a number of problems that arise from the creation of perfect human beings in all respects – inferiority complexes, discrimination against those born before genetic engineering, disruption of social order, and disruption of the social fabric. People born through genetic modification have a clear advantage in appearance, abilities, and physical condition over those born naturally, which leads to discrimination. Insurance companies will require individuals to provide their genetic information to be insured, and employers will want to hire people with genetically proven intelligence. They will outperform the natural-born population in the company, widening the gap between the two groups. In the extreme, this situation could lead to a disconnect between the older and younger generations, similar to racism between blacks and whites. This perception is created by the idea that those born with genetic modification are superior.
The truth is, we don’t know how much difference the generation born from human genetic engineering will make compared to the generation before it. This is very important, because depending on whether genetic influences are the dominant determinant in humans or not, we will have different ways of dealing with the problems that emerge during the transitional period of this technology’s implementation. Therefore, the first thing that needs to be done is to study how much influence genes have on humans. If genes determine not only our appearance and physical condition, but also our intelligence, inclinations, and personality, then the problems posed by genetically engineered technologies will need to be addressed through regulation and legislation. However, based on the research so far, genes do not seem to have such absolute power. Here are some reasons why we are made by interacting with the environment in which we grow up:; ‘In the brain, new neurons grow and appear in response to experience, and old cells may disappear in response to their appearance. The initial wiring of the brain begins deterministically, but experience is essential for the refinement of that wiring;’ ‘Genes never behave in a rut because their promoters respond to external commands. Genes extract information from the environment, and the expression of genes in the brain changes in indirect response to events outside the body.” Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene, also believes that humans, as individuals, are sufficiently capable of overcoming the dictatorship of genes through free will and civilization.
Thus, genes themselves are inevitably linked to and directly affect our appearance and physical condition, but not otherwise. An individual’s abilities and inclinations change depending on many factors, such as upbringing and the environment in which they grow up, so even if actual human genetic manipulation technology is implemented, it will not lead to significant differences in abilities or occupations between the two groups. In addition, big data about an individual’s genetic information can be strictly supervised and managed to ensure that it is not disclosed to organizations other than hospitals. If companies and insurance companies do not receive health information about a person’s genes, it will not be as disruptive to society as feared.
So, what are the benefits of human genetic modification? More than anything else, the greatest gift this technology will bring is a healthy body and dignity. With this technology, no one will be born with a birth defect, restoring human dignity and ensuring that all humans are physically equal. Imagine the misery and suffering of people who have to live with a congenital disability: first, it is mentally very difficult to live a happy life because what you see every day are ordinary people who look different from you. Secondly, it can help you live a happier life later in life by preventing many diseases that are caused by genetic influences. Cancer, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and other dignity-destroying diseases are often caused by genetics. But if we can genetically engineer the factors that cause these diseases and replace them with normal genes, we can live a life of stability rather than anxiety. Much of the attention, time, and money spent on health and illness would be better spent elsewhere, leading to a higher quality of life. This technology also has the potential to equalize physical appearance and intelligence, which would eliminate the inferiority complex that people with lesser physical appearance or intelligence often feel. Instead, it will be determined by effort, willpower, and other external circumstances, so individuals will take a more active role in their own development. Moreover, mental defects that are due to genetic factors to some extent – bullying, murder, rape, arson, abuse, etc.
We believe that human beings are the result of the proper interaction between environmental and genetic influences, and that environmental factors are influential enough to overcome genetic influences. Therefore, I believe that if human genetic modification technology can be perfected, it can bring happiness to individuals, improve the quality of life, and realize human dignity without major social side effects. In fact, even if the negative effects of this technology are too great to ignore, we should not give up, because it can eliminate the misery and suffering caused by congenital physical defects. This has an incomparable value. In addition to this, genetic manipulation can dramatically improve human life by eliminating disease-related genes, preventing the birth of people who are a source of anxiety to society, such as psychopaths, whose behavior is entirely due to genetic defects, and extending life spans.
