Our Posthuman Future

I realize it has been a while since I posted. I have been busy studying for a work certification exam for many months and once I finished that (and passed! yay!) I knitted a scarf for next winter. Either way, I was not able to devote the time to read a book so I am pleased to say I am back in action. I might have another work exam on the horizon so I want to get in a couple of books before having to take another break.

On a recommendation from Chris, I read Our Posthuman Future by Francis Fukuyama which discusses human nature and the consequences of intervention in “germ line” engineering. Much of this book was highly philosophical, discussing the higher-level ethical debate as to whether humans should even be permitted by law to meddle in human nature. I feel Fukuyama outlines serious concerns for society as science advances and this possibility becomes more of a reality.

There were a few very noteworthy points made that I would like to highlight rather than give a general overview of the topics discussed. One of which is the concept of self esteem and our ability as a society to control it with drugs. Fukuyama points out that self esteem used to be something earned – if you wanted to feel like you accomplished something, you worked hard and were then rewarded with that feeling. But lately, self esteem has been treated as an entitlement, something everyone needs to have whether they deserve it or not. People with low self esteem are treated with drugs to hormonally fix their “imbalance” rather than focusing on actions that will positively impact self esteem. Another example of applying prescription drugs to a situation where other therapeutic methods could yield better results is with young children exhibiting “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder”, aka KIDS HAVE SHORT ATTENTION SPANS IN GENERAL. Rather than spending the extra time and energy necessary to engage children, parents and doctors are quick to turn to drugs like Ritalin. Both of these examples show the power neuropharmecology has on influencing behavior. He uses these examples as a warning of things to come (this book was published back in 2002).

Another point I felt was noteworthy was the distinction made between rights and interests, which I feel is important for this discussion since modifying our genes may fall into one of these categories that may help determine how it should be regulated. An interest is distinct from a right, in that, “I may have an interest in a pleasant two week vacation, but that cannot compete with another person’s right not to be held as a chattel slave to work someone else’s fields” (p. 110). The point being made here is very important as it levels the playing field for human beings in that our rights are universal while our interests may vary depending on socioeconomic status. The force pushing against this ideal is money – if the individual has enough money they can afford a two-week vacation while paying someone to tend to their fields. Wealth changes our ability to address our interests but it should not necessarily provide someone with additional rights. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Since wealth tends to further both the interests and the rights of individuals (or corporations), human gene engineering will end up as a tool for the very wealthy to have “designer babies”.


Here is where I will express my opinion on this very controversial topic. As Fukuyama points out, if you ban human genetic modification in the United States, scientists and pharmaceutical companies will simply take their research to another country where the practices are not banned. This race to the bottom is inevitable under current international trade agreements. I feel that modifying organisms on the genetic level, whether it be plants or animals, cannot be sustainable in the long term. I am not a scientist so I cannot speak to whether or not it is SAFE. Regardless of the safety concern, the consequences of genetic modification on a human level seem extremely hard to predict. Anything that uncertain involving the building blocks for human life is not something we want to be messing with. Fukuyama likens genes to an ecosystem – each part influences the others. When you are dealing with a system that interconnected, you had better be sure of the outcomes before you start messing with the individual parts.