Genetic modification and biotechnological advances can make humans stronger and more intelligent. But will Homo sapiens still exist at the end of it all?
Right now on Earth, humans are at the top of the food chain. We are capable of building cities, splitting atoms, exploring the origins of the universe, and so much more. It’s no exaggeration to say that we’ve been at the peak of our powers lately. But can you believe that we, Homo sapiens, could become extinct in this thriving species? You might think that human extinction could be caused by environmental pollution or nuclear war. You’d be right. There is a risk of human extinction due to man-made things, nuclear weapons, etc. But these are threats that we can recognize and prepare for. We can protect the planet through environmental activism, and we can reduce the risk of nuclear war by negotiating nuclear arms reduction. The problem is that the threats we face are not just the ones we can see. There may be new kinds of extinction risks waiting for us that we haven’t anticipated.
But that’s not the kind of extinction Michael Sandel describes in his book Sapiens. When most people think of extinction, they think of extinction caused by habitat destruction or hunting, and these are the kinds of extinctions that occur through pollution or nuclear war. In Sapiens, Sandel describes extinctions that occur when we push the limits of conventional biology, when we are no longer Homo sapiens, and the species naturally dies out. One such “extinction” scenario is biotechnological extinction, or extinction by evolution through genetic manipulation.
While this scenario may seem far in the future, it may not be so far-fetched given the rate of progress in genetic engineering. Humans are constantly in search of something better, and in the process have developed technologies that go beyond the laws of nature. While these technologies have many positive aspects, they also have the potential to cause side effects that we don’t understand.
All life on Earth is the result of natural selection, and so are we, Homo sapiens. Natural selection is the process by which individuals with traits that are better suited to survive in an environment survive and leave many offspring so that those traits are passed on and evolve over a long period of time. In the case of giraffes, for example, there used to be both long-necked and short-necked giraffes, but the short-necked giraffes, unable to eat leaves from high up in the trees, were culled and disappeared, leaving the long-necked giraffes to survive. Since life appeared on Earth, all living things have been subject to natural selection. Under natural selection, it takes a long time for a species to evolve into a different species and acquire completely new characteristics. It’s not possible for a lizard to suddenly sprout wings, for example. Because of this, “evolutionary extinction,” as we’re going to call it, is very difficult to happen. Most species that have gone extinct have been driven out by competitors or environmental factors.
But in recent years, Homo sapiens has gained a power beyond natural selection that has allowed us to do things that were once considered impossible. That power is genetic manipulation. Modern science has already reached the point where we can create creatures like green fluorescent rabbits or insulin-producing E. coli – in other words, individuals with completely new traits that are not present in their species. This is not natural selection, but intelligent design driven by human need. As genetic engineering advances, it will become easier and easier to do this, and more and more will be possible. One day, even humans, Homo sapiens, will be able to modify traits through genetic manipulation. We will be able to genetically create humans with higher IQs, humans who are immune to disease, and so on. If we continue to manipulate our genes in this way, we may one day become a new species that is not Homo sapiens. That would be the end of Homo sapiens.
At first glance, this may not make sense. Why would manipulating our genes make us no longer Homo sapiens, and not just make us better Homo sapiens? To understand, let’s take the example of humans and bacteria. Humans evolved from bacteria, but we all know that humans and bacteria are not the same species. In short, there is a point at which the genes of a species continue to change and it ceases to be that species. These changes aren’t just limited to physical traits. As our genes change, our intellectual abilities, emotions, and psychological states can also change. A human with new genetic traits will have a different mindset than the original Homo sapiens. This is not just evolution, but a fundamental change in the human species itself. In the case of bacteria, of course, they’re still bacteria, even though they’ve evolved. But humans have the ability to think and make decisions differently than bacteria. If we can become healthier and smarter versions of ourselves, who wouldn’t want to do that? Eventually, at the hands of humans, Homo sapiens will be culled and destroyed.
Generally speaking, individuals are classified as being of the same species if they can reproduce with each other, if they do so voluntarily, and if the resulting offspring are fertile. However, as we continue to manipulate our genes, we may reach a point where the above definition is no longer satisfied. In other words, if we change our genes, we may at some point cease to be Homo sapiens. So if we genetically engineer to create a superior race that is smarter, healthier, and stronger, there will come a point where we can no longer call ourselves Homo sapiens, and Homo sapiens will become extinct.
The possibility of a biotechnological extinction of Homo sapiens is certainly a possibility. However, we shouldn’t be too worried about this, because unlike normal extinctions, this extinction is an inevitable part of our progress. However, we should consider the social and ethical issues that come with genetic engineering experiments and address them carefully. We should also think deeply about our own nature as technology advances. We need to have a serious discussion about who we want to be and what direction we want to go in. Human evolution is not just a matter of scientific discovery; it is also a process of finding answers to the fundamental questions of our existence.
