Francis Galton

The main goal in a human’s life is to seek understanding, whether it be something large scale like to understanding the universe or something smaller scale like figuring out the latest Iphone. Francis Bacon wrote Novum Organism to create a better philosophical understanding of prejudices humans have created when it comes to acquiring and determining truth. He categorized four types of prejudices and named them all different idols: The Idol of the Tribe, the Idol of the Cave, the Idol of the…

It is within human nature to strive for perfection. To be the best we can be, and now humans are on the brink of discovering how to finally reach this “perfection” we desire through genetically modifying fetuses or in other words creating a designer baby. However, should we really turn to designer babies in our search for perfection? In my opinion I do not believe we should because there are so many unforeseen consequences of designer babies that we cannot comprehend. We may come across bacteria…

G: In sci-fi films, directors highlight the importance of symbolic codes in promoting ideas in such films. R: In the 1997 film, Gattaca, the director Andrew Nicoll, presents viewers with a seemingly utopian film, where the people featured in the film are genetically engineered to create a perfect society where their genetics determine their jobs and social status. O: Nicoll uses symbolic codes such as a crucifix/infinite symbol, a staircase shaped as a genetic ladder and bars to…

We, as a society, should always be moving forward and bettering ourselves, but is genetic manipulation the best way to do it? Gene editing can help cure fatal diseases in children however it could be possible for parents to choose their children’s personality traits. Science should be used to better a person’s life, not determine it. It is not a moral obligation of a parent to screen out “personality flaws” but it is a parent’s moral obligation if they want to cure their child of sickle cell…

In this essay, I will argue that we should allow for genetic engineering to be used in creating new children. However, we should limit our genetic engineering so that only genetic therapy should be allowed because of the great medical benefits genetic therapy brings about. I will compare genetic engineering to current types of therapy and will describe example situations that will further display that genetic therapy is permissible. The fundamental differences between genetic therapy and…

The novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen could not have been named better. This is because of the personalities that result in the actions of the two main characters, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. Elizabeth Bennett, or Lizzie, is one of the five Bennett daughters, but is nothing like her other sisters. She completely refutes society’s ideas about a woman’s purpose and marriage. This often leads to her having more pride than the average woman of the Regency Period. Elizabeth does…

Book Portion: Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World may seem far fetched from today's society, but the reality of various Huxley predictions is very real. Huxley satirizes the use of genetic engineering by showing how various aspects of it in the New World State have led to inequality in social castes, dysfunctions in intelligence, and unwanted predestination. There are four different castes in Huxley’s Brave New World, and all of them are very different. “The shorter the oxygen.”(14). This…

There’s no question that, as humans, society has been advancing at a rapid rate over the past few decades. The biggest advances, however, have come medically and technologically which, in today’s climate, often go hand in hand. One of the most powerful and potentially dangerous advances in recent memory has been advent of genetic engineering. Many of the advances that have made genetic engineering possible, while they may save many lives, have a higher moral cost than society may recognize.…

Genetic Modification: Scientists Against Ethics I. INTRODUCTION Imagine living in a world where some people were just born perfect. They consist of perfect looks, perfect personalities, perfect athleticism, perfect minds, and perfect everything. But you, on the other hand, just got the luck of the draw. From two parents, very average in terms of the word today, you were born, normal. Unfortunately, normal is not good enough. There are two types of people now: the normal ones and the flawed…

life, the structure of the molecule that codes for all of our genes. Because of this race, people were protective and extremely competitive in their research. The final winners of this race to discovery were know at the time to be James Watson and Francis Crick. While their methods of discovery may not have been clean cut, they were the first people to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Pieces that were taken from others to make a puzzle with their names written across the front. The…