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Ethical issues in genetic research
Ethical implications of gene engineering
Ethical implications of gene engineering
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In the 21st century, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (a screening test used to determine if genetic or chromosomal disorders are present in embryos) can easily be achieve at a high price. This had help doctors predicted and prevented many babies with special features. As a kid, we learned in school that our genes define who we are as a person and without them, we all would look very alike and would act in the very same way. However, does our genetic served more than defining our personalities, likes, or dislikes? What if people were to look at your genes under a microscope, will they be able to tell beyond your cosmetic appearance and see things such as your goals and ambition? Gattaca did a pretty good job of proving this point of view …show more content…
Things such as genetic discrimination, or unequal classes or even genocide. The movie start out with a parents selecting the best embryos for their second child because their first child was a mistake. By letting their first child born the “natural” way, he unfortunately suffered from many disorders and expected to live with the life span of 30.2 years. This forces him to have unequal opportunities in life and constantly being discriminated against regarding his big dreams and goals. With just the very beginning of this film, it manage the show the disadvantages of children will have just by having “lesser good DNA” than others, that they would not have an options in society base on their genetic alone. Although genetic discriminations is illegal in the film, it didn 't stop people with better DNA to abuse it, and for that reason, the society were separated into two. The two were known as the “valids” and “in-valids”. The “valids” are those who qualified for prestigious jobs while the “in-valid” are those who worked for low-life jobs. With the technologies that we can access, a step toward this “perfect world” portrayed isn’t to far away, but the film did gave me a perspective on their lives with Cultural …show more content…
Our own society and Gattaca’s society moral codes are different, therefore, we both approach life very differently. Gattaca envision the world would be perfect with “designer babies”, but did suffer an unequal class men and genetic discrimination. For us, without the freely of PGD, we’re dealing with many disorders and syndromes. In “God and Morality” by Cahn, he stated multiple times that by gods, murder is immoral. By discarding the embryos with the potential of disorders, are they throwing away human beings? I believe so. Since embryos are in the process of developing, many argued that embryos are not human being. Mainly the reason being that because it isn 't fully developed, but neither is four-year-old. A human is not fully developed until the late teens to mid twenties, some mature in variety of different ways. Another reasons being embryos aren 't really alive. Embryos are in the process of development, therefore, it’s growing, it’s responding, it’s fueling by food and oxygen, the basics essential to a living being. Embryos are
...hich inherited traits, such as those for genetic disease, can be tracked over generations. Throughout out the course of human development, scientists will continue to find new new ways to help the human race through the discovery of the human gene inside of each of us, its uses, as well as complications, that can help the survival of our species.
Identity is often thought of as what people consider themselves, not how others see you. In the movie “Gattaca” however this is not the case. Identity is something you are born with. When you were born you were tested for diseases and life expectancy and therefore treated accordingly. In the world where technology has been fast forwarded to be able to pick which genes or gender your child inherits and becomes to create the best possible outcome, kids that were not genetically changed were called “invalid.”
Gattaca presents a world destroyed by the pursuit of perfection. Do you agree with this? “The word perfection cannot be defined as one person or one thing. Perfection can only be told or seen in a first person view. No one will genuinely think something or someone is as perfect as another person, it’s impossible to see eye to eye with something that is as powerful and subjective as perfection.”
Firstly, a concerning issues related with the enhancement of characteristics through genetic means is discrimination in society. The text “Flowers for Algernon” epitomizes discrimination, where the protagonist Charlie Gordon undergoes a revolutionary change from his mental disability to a genius through an experimental surgery. Following the experiment, his intelligence escalates to a degree such that he progressively becomes isolated from the rest of society. Furthermore, Gordon explains his new intelligence to have “driven a wedge between [him] and all the people [he] once knew and loved” and expresses that “people don’t talk to [him] anymore and it makes [his] job lonely” (insert reference). This reveals a form of discrimination between the upper class and lower class individuals. Likewise, the film “Gattaca” depicts discrimination through the contrast of individual characters. The protagonist Vincent Freeman, is a naturally conceived baby who inherits a “99% probability [of developing] a heart disorder and a subsequent life expectancy of 30.2 years” (insert reference). In contrast, Vincent’s younger brother Anton has been artificially conceived providing him with physical advantages complemented with remarkable ...
In recent years, great advancement has been made in medicine and technology. Advanced technologies in reproduction have allowed doctors and parents the ability to screen for genetic disorders (Suter, 2007). Through preimplantation genetic diagnosis, prospective parents undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) can now have their embryo tested for genetic defects and reduce the chance of the child being born with a genetic disorder (Suter, 2007). This type of technology can open the door and possibility to enhance desirable traits and characteristics in their child. Parents can possibly choose the sex, hair color and eyes or stature. This possibility of selecting desirable traits opens a new world of possible designer babies (Mahoney,
113. 44) Using this analogy she shows that just because the fetus is inside us, it does mean we have a right to terminate it. She starts off her argument by defining the difference between a human being and a person. The first is part of genetic humanity, and the latter is part of moral humanity. She says that genetic humanity is not sufficient for moral humanity.
...e is different inequality socially and politically. The inequality is determined by people’s ideals of what they were taught and society projects as the superior and inferior races. This film shows that there is a way to change that if you make the other side see how they affect the people they are discriminating against. It is the responsibility of the adults to stop these learned behaviors and teach the children that people are all equal, that is what needs to be instilled in the generations to come otherwise everything will stay the same. We have come a long way as a people but we still have a long way that we need to go. Nothing will ever be perfect but it should always get better. The lesson that is learned from this workshop is lessons that should be taught in every classroom all over the world maybe then we will see that we are no different from each other.
The genetic technology revolution has proved to be both a blessing and a blight. The Human Genome Project is aimed at mapping and sequencing the entire human genome. DNA chips are loaded with information about human genes. The chip reveals specific information about the individuals’ health and genetic makeup (Richmond & Germov 2009).The technology has been described as a milestone by many in that it facilitates research, screening, and treatment of genetic conditions. However, there have been fears that the technology permits a reduction in privacy when the information is disclosed. Many argue that genetic information can also be used unfairly to discriminate against or stigmatize individuals (Willis 2009).
Imagine a parent walking into what looks like a conference room. A sheet of paper waits on a table with numerous questions many people wish they had control over. Options such as hair color, skin color, personality traits and other physical appearances are mapped out across the page. When the questions are filled out, a baby appears as he or she was described moments before. The baby is the picture of health, and looks perfect in every way. This scenario seems only to exist in a dream, however, the option to design a child has already become a reality in the near future. Parents may approach a similar scenario every day in the future as if choosing a child’s characteristics were a normal way of life. The use of genetic engineering should not give parents the choice to design their child because of the act of humans belittling and “playing” God, the ethics involved in interfering with human lives, and the dangers of manipulating human genes.
The 1997 film Gattaca, directed by Andrew Niccol, depicts a dystopian society where genetics and the quest for perfection rule the world. The film follows the story of Vincent Freeman, a man who overcomes his destiny, from being an In-Valid (inferior being) to a Valid (superior being). Vincent overcomes his own pre-determined fate, which not only helps Vincent strive to reach his goals, but also inspires others he knows. Jerome Morrow, a friend who he had an agreement with, becomes inspired by Vincent’s own actions and decides to complete his own goals. Irene, Vincent’s love interest through the movie, soon see’s that, by looking at what Vincent has done, genes do not necessarily determine how far someone can go in the world. Dr Lamar, the
GATTACA is a film placed in the near future where the plot is based around a less-than-perfect man, Vincent Freeman. Vincent Freeman is one of the last natural born babies into a society of genetic discrimination, where babies could now be genetically-enhanced. To achieve his dream of going into space, he takes the identity of Jerome Morrow, a man with perfect genetics. Jerome is paralyzed due to the result of a car accident. With professional guidance, Vincent learns to deceive DNA and urine sample testing to allow him into GATTACA with his name as Jerome. When he is finally scheduled for a space mission, the director of GATTACA is killed and the police begin an investigation on everyone in GATTACA, this puts Vincent at the risk of his secret coming out.
The doctor stated: "The child is you, simply the best of you". What does this mean?
Good morning, listeners. Welcome to Future Forum. I am Millie Shan. An exciting topic for us to discuss today is the challenges for the future. What concerns could our future generations confront? It is undeniable that rapid technological and scientific progress not only improves convenience and efficiency of our daily life, but also causes ethical concerns to humanity where science and technology intersect with society from different disciplinary aspects. In particular, preimplantation genetic technology could have alter society into a genetic hierarchy establishing a dystopian society accompanied by genetic discrimination. GATTACA made in 1997, an intriguing science fiction film directed by Andrew Niccol, delivers an insight into how the
Differentiating people based on their genetics is what makes the world of Gattaca a dystopia.