In this blog post, we will examine the possibilities and ethical issues surrounding genetic engineering technology and its potential to cure human diseases and improve quality of life.
What if we were born knowing our diseases, physical abilities, and talents through DNA testing? Now that we are in the 21st century, this is no longer the stuff of science fiction. In the 1970s, the Human Genome Project was in full swing, and 20 years later, the movie Gattaca, which depicted a future based on this project, was released and shocked audiences at the time.
Here is a brief introduction to the movie “Gattaca.” Vincent, a child born out of his parents’ love, is classified as lower class after being diagnosed at birth with heart disease and a tendency toward crime based on genetic testing, and is told that he will die at the age of 31. Vincent, who had been interested in space since childhood, dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but this was a profession only available to the upper class with superior genes. Realizing that he could not achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut with his own genes, he buys the superior genes of Eugene Morrow through a gene broker. To become Eugene Murrow, he undergoes painful surgery to change his head and lengthen his bones to match Murrow’s height. Reborn as Jerome Murrow with Eugene Murrow’s superior genes, Vincent deceives society and joins the aerospace company Gattaca, where he spends every day struggling to prevent his genes from being discovered, ultimately achieving his dream of becoming an astronaut.
This movie shows the grim future brought about by life science and genetic engineering, reminiscent of the eugenics policy implemented by the Nazis in Germany in the past. During World War II, the eugenics policy in Nazi Germany led to the Holocaust, in which millions of Jews were massacred based on scientific racism such as eugenics and phrenology. This can be seen as the result of human eugenics, which forcibly eliminated people with mental illness, incurable diseases, and other socially inferior traits to prevent them from continuing their bloodline.
Is there really a difference between parents who want to create customized babies with only superior genes through genetic engineering and Hitler, who regarded Germans as a superior race and treated Jews as an inferior race, eliminating the inferior race? In the past, inferior races were eliminated based on outwardly visible characteristics such as violence and schizophrenia, but in the near future depicted in Gattaca, inferior genes are eliminated before they become outwardly visible. These two cases are almost identical in that individuals or genes are eliminated because they are considered inferior. One difference is that in the past, the purpose of eugenics was simply to satisfy desires, but today’s genetic engineering exists not only to satisfy desires but also to cure incurable and genetic diseases. Originally, genetic engineering was a technology used to cure diseases by completing the genetic map and identifying which genes are involved in which diseases. In 2003, the Human Genome Project, an international consortium of six countries including the US and the UK, and the US biotechnology venture company Celera Genomics completed the human genome map, which was expected to be a ray of hope for freedom from intractable diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. Among the 25,000 genes in humans, there are 12,000 genes whose functions are unknown, and these genes can cause disease when they interact with each other in complex ways. In addition, there are cases where genes are normal but disease still occurs, so even after 10 years, we have not been able to conquer all diseases.
If genetic engineering can cure numerous diseases, then I believe that customized babies can be produced through genetic engineering within that scope. This is because genetic engineering could save the lives of people around the world who suffer from genetic diseases. Although it is ethically questionable to artificially manipulate life, if we ban genetic engineering for that reason, then we must also ban in vitro fertilization for infertile couples. This is because I believe it is illogical to say that life is the domain of God and should not be artificially created or manipulated, while allowing artificial insemination for infertile couples but prohibiting genetic manipulation for the treatment of genetic diseases.
The problem is that even if genetic manipulation is permitted for therapeutic purposes, it will inevitably be used to satisfy individual desires. The original purpose of plastic surgery was also therapeutic, such as removing unsightly scars. However, in a society that values appearance, appearance has come to be recognized as a form of ability, and now cosmetic surgery has become the main purpose of plastic surgery, earning South Korea the dubious title of the country with the most plastic surgery. If genetic modification is carried out in a society where genes are considered a form of ability, without any alternatives or systems in place, it is likely that, like plastic surgery, it will become a means of satisfying individual desires.
Currently, our society is obsessed with eugenics, where a person’s parents’ occupation and educational background, as well as their English grades, have become the primary qualifications for any job. As parents’ occupation and educational background have become indicators of an individual’s ability and important factors for success, society is unknowingly imposing the idea of genetic determinism on its citizens. Genetic determinism is, as the name suggests, the theory that genes determine everything. This theory is easily refuted by studies of identical twins, who, even though they have the same genes, develop completely different personalities and immune systems when raised in different environments. Even though most people are aware of this fact, genetic determinism is still unconsciously ingrained in our minds due to the influence of the mass media. We are addicted to smartphones, looking for them as soon as we open our eyes, using them on the subway and buses, taking them with us to the bathroom, and not putting them down until we go to sleep. As a result, our thoughts and values are shaped and changed by the media we encounter, and many journalists use exaggerated expressions to attract readers’ attention, leaving out the important information they really want to convey in their article headlines. Examples include “There is a gene for hating math,” “Trauma is also hereditary,” and “Everything is hereditary. Is it the parents’ fault if their children are bad at studying?” However, if you read the research papers themselves, you will see that these studies do not claim that intelligence is determined by genes. The research team at King’s College London, which conducted the study “Everything is genetic. Are parents to blame if their children are not good at studying?”, stated, “Our study aimed to show that this heritability is not solely influenced by intelligence, but is determined by a combination of other characteristics.” They went on to say, “We are not trying to draw a line around children’s abilities based on the fact that academic performance is heritable,” and finally explained, “We are trying to acknowledge that there are differences in the degree to which children are interested in learning.”
Even if genetic engineering is used for therapeutic purposes, if there is a society that practices genetic determinism and the mass media continues to spread such ideas, genetic engineering will inevitably become a means of satisfying human desires. The mass media must take responsibility for conveying only the facts so that genetic engineering can be used in a desirable manner, and a proper social system is needed to prevent a society where the abilities and educational background of parents become the abilities of their children.
Regardless of the type of society we live in, it may be considered the freedom of choice for parents to produce customized babies through genetic engineering. It does not harm others, and it may be considered the duty of parents to help their children live more comfortably and advantageously. However, this is nothing more than the desire of the parents. Even if genes are selected for superior intelligence and physical health, there is no guarantee that those genes will be superior to those of other children, and it is impossible to know whether customized children will live happy and advantageous lives. If genetic engineering becomes widespread, all parents will want babies with only good genes, and society will be made up of people with only good genes. Would a society made up of people with only superior genes be a superior society? I don’t think so. I heard about the worker bee theory on TV. When 100 superior worker bees are gathered in a group, only 25 of them work hard. However, when you gather 25 lazy bees from the four groups and form a new group, strangely enough, 25 of them will work hard. This theory shows that even if people with the same abilities from different groups gather to form a new group, a new hierarchy will inevitably be formed within the new group.
Even if sperm and eggs with only superior genes meet and form a fertilized egg through genetic engineering, they must undergo countless cell divisions to become a single fetus, and errors can occur during the cell division process when genes are not accurately replicated. During this process, the degree of expression of superior genes varies from person to person, and even in a group consisting only of customized children with superior genes, a hierarchy will inevitably emerge. Even assuming that there are no errors in the gene replication process, customized children will develop unique personalities depending on the environment in which they live and the education and training they receive, and a hierarchy will inevitably emerge. This will lead to further competition and a vicious cycle of struggling to obtain better genes.
As mentioned earlier, the technology to select only superior genes through genetic engineering was developed for the purpose of treating diseases. There is a risk that technology that should be used for good purposes will be misused to satisfy individual desires when it encounters a society that has fallen into genetic determinism. Therefore, in order to ensure the proper use of this technology, social change is necessary, as well as social policies that reflect this change and protect the technology from being misused for other purposes. Since the production of customized children through genetic engineering implies genetic determinism, which states that genes determine everything, it is inevitable that the flaws of genetic determinism will be overlooked. Even if genetic engineering is considered an individual freedom and a parental right, it can ultimately lead to a vicious cycle that is detrimental to society as a whole.
If genetic engineering is possible for the purpose of satisfying desires, many people will be tempted to use it to give birth to customized children with only superior genes. However, I believe that life is not about using what you have from the beginning, but rather a process of acquiring what you do not have through hard work. I believe that what we are born with is not our abilities, but rather our ability to fill in what we lack and make the impossible possible. In the movie “Gattaca,” Vincent, who was born out of his parents’ love, competes in a swimming competition against his younger brother, who was born with only superior genes through genetic engineering. “I can beat you because I haven’t left any strength to go back.” Isn’t it because we know what we lack that we become more desperate and determined than anyone else? Because of that desperation, even a 0.00001% chance with no hope can become a miracle for someone. In the movie, he is diagnosed with only three years to live, but he lives past that age and fulfills his dream before the end. The movie “Gattaca” shows a bleak future of genetic engineering, but I think the purpose of the movie was to convey the message that even if you are considered unfit for society, like Vincent, you should still strive to achieve your destiny.
At the same time, we cannot overlook the ethical issues of genetic engineering and the new possibilities that come with technological advances. As gene editing technology becomes more sophisticated and safer, the scope of disease prevention and treatment will expand, and new forms of human life quality will become possible. For example, if certain genetic diseases can be prevented in advance, not only will individuals’ lives be saved, but society as a whole will see a huge reduction in medical costs. In addition, customized genes will create opportunities to maximize various talents and abilities. However, despite these possibilities, if genetic engineering technology is not properly managed and regulated, social inequality and ethical controversies will intensify.
In conclusion, the production of customized babies through genetic engineering is likely to become a reality with the advancement of science and technology, but the ethical and social issues that may arise in the process must be carefully considered. It is necessary to recognize the limitations of genetic determinism and establish social consensus and regulations for the proper use of technology. Furthermore, we must not forget the importance of individual effort and will, and society must move toward respecting individual diversity and potential. The movie “Gattaca” contains these concerns and conveys an important message to us. It is our task to seek ways to maintain a humane life alongside the advancement of science and technology.
