Genetically Engineered Society

A detailed Summary of Genetically Engineered Society

Imagine a world where only the genetically elite could get jobs. People who couldn't afford the gene-therapy would be left by the wayside. Why hire someone who's imperfect when there are thousands of genetically perfect people to chose from? These genetic alterations could be defined as anything that allows a parent to make a cosmetic decision about their unborn child. For example, genetic-tinkering would include any genetic alterations of intelligence; physical traits such as strength, speed, agility, balance, dexterity; and immunity to recoverable illnesses such as the flu or the common cold. "It's the ultimate shopping experience: designing your baby," says biotechnology critic Jeremy Rifkin. "In a society used to cosmetic surgery and psychopharmacology, this is not a big step." These genetic alterations would be unfair in many ways. There's a good possibility that only the rich could afford it, that it could cause problems with jobs and health insurance companies, and it may cause problems for children at school. This could be our future, unless we support laws to ban genetic-tinkering before it catches on.

This technology would be a huge breakthrough for parents who carry the genes for cystic fibrosis, multiple scle

Britain never did pass a law such as that, but in America the states were beginning to pass laws that allowed mandatory sterilization. These laws were fought against but the Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes stated that "Three generations of imbeciles are enough!"

Genetically enhanced immunity to common illnesses could affect the job market in that it may be more difficult to get a good job. Why would an employer hire someone that is likely to get sick, when they have a genetically engineered applicant who is immune to all sickness? The un-enhanced workers may be forced to take on lower level positions, jobs that no body else wants. The same would probably happen if intelligence were altered as well. More intelligent people could potentially be more qualified applicants. That would leave the applicants that weren't genetically enhanced at a severe disadvantage. The effects of this may be seen in a slight shifting of wealth, due to genetically enhanced workers getting the better paying jobs. They would be more successful financially and would most likely be the only people that could afford to enhance their children.

Who's to say that the government won't one day decide to force mandatory sterilization on those people who aren't genetically enhanced?

If the technology was so expensive that only the wealthy could afford it, then it's possible that this technology could create a sort of new social class of the genetically elite. It is a tendency among mankind that intelligent people become attracted to other intelligent people, thus potentially producing even more intelligent offspring. Intelligent people are more likely to work in the better paying professions. If wealthy couples are given the chance to produce beautiful, intelligent, immune children, they will most likely jump at the chance and be willing to pay however much money is needed to do so. "Parents with the resources will feel pressured to make sure that their children have the 'right genetic stuff'." says Philip Kitcher, philosopher of Columbia University. If the pattern continues as predicted, the intelligent attracted to the intelligent who thus produce more intelligence, it may be that people would almost be discouraged from marrying someone

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1518
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

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