This blog post explores whether customized humans are an inevitable consequence if genes determine human essence, along with the resulting ethical issues and societal impacts.
When asked to define what it means to be a person or human, the answer often varies greatly depending on an individual’s values and level of education. One common philosophical approach defines humans as the only animals on Earth possessing will and reason that can override instinct. On the other hand, approaching the human being scientifically might define it as a biological organism composed of 78% H₂O, 20% carbohydrates, and various other chemical substances like proteins and fats.
Methods for defining humans are extremely diverse, and through each distinct approach, we can understand human existence from multiple angles. For instance, from a psychological perspective, we can understand humans centered on the structure of the human mind and psyche; from a cultural perspective, we can understand humans centered on their roles and relationships within the society and culture they belong to. Thus, the ways to define humans are endless, and each approach illuminates different facets of humanity. The way we understand people in the realms of art and literature is different again. In literature, humans are sometimes expressed through extreme emotions and anguish, while art explores human complexity based on creativity and sensibility.
While there are undoubtedly many other ways to define a person, as an engineering student majoring in chemical engineering, if we define humans using the latter approach mentioned earlier, genes are something we inevitably must confront. Because we approach humans scientifically, the vital activities essential for human life can be viewed as a series of chemical reactions, and genes regulate all these chemical reactions. Therefore, understanding humans directly connects to understanding genes. Thus, I will first briefly discuss genes.
Understanding genes is essential not only for comprehending human physical traits but also for grasping diverse elements like human behavior, personality, and even the onset of disease. Genes are a crucial factor determining what we can and cannot do. For instance, understanding the likelihood of disease onset determined by genetic factors and preventing it is one of the key research challenges in modern medicine. In this context, it is vital to comprehend how profoundly genes influence human life.
As mentioned earlier, genes act like a musical score, regulating the vital functions (digestion, metabolism, etc.) that humans absolutely need to sustain life continuously. If we liken the vital activities occurring in each part of the body to the instruments of an orchestra, the score determines which instrument should play and when to achieve overall harmony. In the actual process of human life, genes play this role akin to a musical score. Just as it is difficult to imagine an orchestra performing without a score, human life processes cannot exist without genes. Therefore, humans evolved to safely protect genes and ensure their existence for the next generation. Perhaps for this reason, genes have come to be seen as factors that determine people’s destinies.
Research on genes is steadily advancing. By understanding the structure and function of genes through this research, we gain deeper insights into human life. For example, the development of CRISPR-Cas9, a gene editing technology, has opened the possibility of manipulating the function of specific genes to treat or prevent diseases. The advancement of such technology will enable personalized medicine in the future, which will have a significant impact on human health and well-being. However, the use of such technologies also raises ethical issues, which represent one of the critical challenges requiring discussion across society.
Perhaps due to the importance of genes as described above, there are situations where genes are becoming factors determining human capabilities. A prime example is considered to be the case of Einstein. Einstein is remembered as a historical genius universally acknowledged worldwide. After his death, his brain was dissected, permanently preserved, and studied. The results revealed that the activated areas of his brain were slightly larger than those of ordinary individuals. Since this can only be interpreted as a genetic factor, it can be argued that Einstein was genetically destined to be a genius.
A similar example to Einstein’s case can be observed on TV every four years. Given the four-year interval, everyone likely anticipates it: the Olympics. When people of numerous races compete in various sports based on sportsmanship, showcasing individual skill, many can easily predict the nationalities of the main competitors—Asian, African, European, etc.—simply by hearing the sport’s name, even without watching. Take track and field, for instance, which tests humanity’s most fundamental athletic abilities. It’s readily apparent that people with dark skin tones make up at least 80% to 90% of the participants. Yet, track and field events don’t exclusively accept applications from African-descended people. Nevertheless, the finals of nearly every track and field event inevitably boil down to a contest between Black athletes. Sadly, this phenomenon is largely determined by genetic factors that do not significantly reflect individual effort. African-Americans are genetically predisposed to have strong muscles and tremendous elasticity. Therefore, no matter how much effort people of other races put in, they cannot beat trained African-American athletes.
Looking at these two cases, it seems as if genes alone determine the direction and capabilities of an individual’s life, and possessing superior genes guarantees a successful life. Therefore, suppose current biotechnology advances to the point where, like the scenario in the movie Gattaca, parents can freely determine the genes of their newborn babies. And suppose each reader of this article is that parent. What kind of child would you desire? The very situation where parents can decide their child’s ideal form is where the disaster begins. A prime example is the gender ratio issue. What if the majority desired sons? Conversely, what if they only wanted daughters? Extreme social chaos would ensue as people struggled to find marriage partners. Could a government advocating liberalism impose restrictions to encourage an equal birth ratio of sons and daughters?
Now, let’s assume social consensus could regulate the gender ratio. And suppose the decision was made based on parental preference—son or daughter. The next step would be envisioning the child’s future and tailoring the genes accordingly. From a parent’s perspective, they might wish for a child who is handsome, athletic, has a good personality, excels academically, dislikes alcohol, avoids frequent illnesses, and so on—countless desires could be imagined. Suppose readers actually became parents with the power to determine their child’s genes. It’s hard to imagine they’d envision a child who excels at sports but struggles academically, or has a great personality but an unattractive face, all while balancing these traits against others.
Then, when readers become the protagonists navigating society, looking around here and there, they’d find a society overflowing with people like the ultimate being: faces like Brad Pitt, athleticism like Lionel Messi, a character as broad as Buddha’s, and academic prowess surpassing even Einstein’s. If society’s members become uniform, a collapse of self-identity would occur. Identity itself isn’t something that changes; it signifies something specific that only you possess and that defines you. If there are no differences between yourself and others, and if you lack your own unique characteristics, how can individuals possibly define themselves? If self-identity collapses, self-esteem cannot form, inevitably leading to a passive life. Living merely according to parental expectations would cause overall societal development to decline. Thus, the question remains unresolved: how can we convince such passive descendants of the fundamental human values of effort and self-development? Moreover, it feels ironic to contemplate the social degeneration that would occur if people possessing both Einstein’s intellect and athlete-level physical abilities were to gather.
We’ve examined potential problems that could arise if customized humans were possible. Some might feel disappointed that such customization becomes impossible due to these issues. However, even someone genetically perfect like a customized human isn’t guaranteed a successful life. This was directly evident in the film Gattaca. In the film, the protagonist hides his genetically deficient self using another person’s genes to achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut. After struggling to get hired and finally blossoming with his passion and ability for spaceflight, he seizes the opportunity to fly into space. While the film doesn’t explicitly detail the protagonist’s efforts to achieve his dream, considering the typical societal context, it’s easy to imagine how much effort he must have put in. In the film’s setting, almost everyone except the protagonist is a genetically engineered, customized human born with vastly superior brains and physical conditions. And their joining the same company as the protagonist can be said to be because they, like him, entered with the dream of spaceflight. In other words, the protagonist overcame genetically superior colleagues under unfavorable conditions to seize his chance at spaceflight. Doesn’t this suggest that what determines an individual’s capability isn’t genes or talent, but the passion and effort they invest in their dreams?
The protagonist, confessing to the woman he fell for within the film that he wasn’t actually genetically modified, shouts, “I had over a 90% chance of dying from heart disease by age 30, but I’m still alive!” Wasn’t this a cry of his self-identity, declaring that his passion and effort hadn’t been betrayed and had borne fruit, despite a society presenting genetics as the sole absolute criterion for judgment? While the specific circumstances differ, viewed broadly, I believe modern society isn’t vastly different from the one imagined in the film. Though they’ve diminished significantly, many social statuses exist today—school ties, regional connections, blood relations—that function much like the genetic factor in the film, casting a veil over one’s true abilities. Society is indeed flawed, but I look forward to a future where many people, myself included, become Vincent Freeman—achieving their dreams by striving their hardest even within harsh environments.
