Movie Analysis: Designer Babies

Essay #1: Designer Babies

Imagine a perfect human with desirable traits like intelligence, beauty, and strength. Would it not be ideal for society as a whole to have all individuals exhibit these traits? Although the implications of designer babies for health benefits are crucial, there are many downfalls of genetic enhancements. First of all, if the whole society decided on genetic enhancements, it would mean extreme social gaps between the rich and poor, and the extinction of individualism. On the other hand, people argue that the ability to detect genetic mutations and cure generations of diseases is worth it. But some argue that genetic modifications would not result in desired traits and could potentially not have the effect people

It would create a superhuman race that would eliminate equality. A society like this was represented in the 1997 thriller/ drama film, Gattaca. Basically, the film established the idea of social classes built upon genetic makeup. The social norm was being conceived through genetic manipulation. While people conceived naturally were considered invalid. The main character, Vincent Freeman, became the last human conceived naturally and was classified as insufficient. In comparison to the film, designer babies would create another barrier from

According to Hemmy Cho’s article, Enhancing Humans Through Science Is Beneficial, “advances in genetics mean we don't have to rely on evolution. We can choose the genes that we wish to pass on to our immediate future generations and bypass the genetic theory” (Cho, Hemmy). Similarly, Jeremy Rifkin argues that “it would be cruel not to use new technology to eliminate serious disorders” (Rifkin, Jeremy). For example, “the most common, fatal genetic disease in the United States,” according to the National Human Genome Research Institute, is Cystic Fibrosis. This single gene mutation causes the body to create thick mucus which clogs the lungs and interfere with digestive enzymes from decomposing food. Fortunately, with the development of biotechnology, gene modifications are a viable option for generations of people suffering from genetic mutations like Cystic Fibrosis to be cured and cleared for future generations. Because of strict regulations, other countries such as China have taken initiative to test genetic modification on humans. Therefore, it is possible that U.S reluctance to pursue this life-saving technology could create an uproar.

In all considerations of the benefits of genetic modifications, there has been no definitive answer to the safety. Generally, “anything powerful enough to enhance system A is likely to be powerful enough to harm system