This blog post examines how human dignity and ethics are threatened amid the advancement of science and technology.
Entering the 21st century, humanity’s science and technology have enabled us to bypass the evolutionary path life forms have followed through natural selection over roughly 4 billion years. Advances in genetic engineering and life sciences have transformed evolution into a process that can occur within a single generation. While it took millions of years for a giraffe’s neck to grow long, bio-artist Eduardo Kac inserted genes from a green fluorescent jellyfish into a rabbit embryo, creating a new species that had never existed before.
Through such scientific and technological advancements, humanity can now identify the potential for genetic diseases in advance and prevent or treat them by modifying problematic genetic information. Furthermore, genetically designing crops resistant to pests and diseases while yielding higher harvests has provided alternatives to address food shortages and hunger. Inserting insulin genes into E. coli has also opened pathways for mass-producing useful substances like insulin.
Yet as the light of technology grows brighter, its shadows deepen. The advancement of science and technology, which fundamentally transforms human lifestyles and makes the impossible possible, simultaneously brings various side effects.
Yuval Harari, author of 『Sapiens』, states:
“Within a few decades, thanks to genetic engineering and biotechnology, we will be able to significantly alter not only human physiological functions, immune systems, and lifespan, but also intellectual and emotional capabilities. (…) With just a few additional changes, a second cognitive revolution could occur, creating entirely new forms of consciousness and transforming Homo sapiens into something entirely different. (…) Tinkering with our genes doesn’t necessarily mean extinction. But it does mean we might cease to be Homo sapiens.”
Advances in science and technology have solved many problems facing humanity, but simultaneously introduced even greater risks. With the emergence of technologies capable of manipulating human emotions or thought processes, the possibility of humans becoming mere tools or such technologies being misused is becoming a reality.
For example, when the genes of monogamous field mice were transplanted into the genes of typical promiscuous field mice, a change in their behavior was observed. So, could applying this gene to a cheating man turn him into a faithful husband? This approach suggests gene-editing technology possesses the potential to manipulate human behavior and even personality.
There is also the possibility of biological dictatorship becoming a reality, mass-producing fearless soldiers or absolutely obedient individuals through drugs or genetic manipulation. If a society arrives where humans are evaluated solely based on genetic information, as depicted in the film ‘Gattaca,’ individuals’ dignity could be compromised due to perceived genetic inferiority. People would competitively seek genetic modification to acquire superior traits. This could result in humans being treated as mere tools or commodities, severely threatening the value of human dignity.
As seen with the cloned humans in the film ‘The Island,’ debates over the rights of replicated humans have already become a real-world issue. Clones are genetically identical to the original but possess autonomous thought and emotion, potentially developing in entirely different directions depending on their environment. Nevertheless, treating clones as mere expendable goods or spare parts cannot be justified.
Science and technology have already penetrated deep into our lives, and their pace of development is accelerating to a point where human control is becoming difficult. Therefore, what is needed now is not to halt science and technology, but serious reflection on the direction in which it should develop.
Regarding this, Michael Sandel argues in ‘Talking About the Ethics of Life’ as follows:
“Do we want a society that discriminates based on genes? Altering our nature to conform to the world is an extreme form of relinquishing autonomy. It would render us incapable of critically examining society. Even the impulse to improve politics and society would vanish. Rather than correcting defects in the human genome, we should focus on establishing social and political institutions that allow us to live happily while acknowledging human limitations and imperfections.”
Sandel does not reject the use of science and technology itself. Rather, he supports the application of science and technology for universal goods—curing incurable diseases, promoting health, and improving living environments. However, he clearly opposes attempts to design perfect humans—enhancing muscles, improving memory, or selecting gender. Such technologies undermine human dignity and, like past eugenics, could lead humanity into another form of misery.
The difference lies in the fact that while eugenic policies were once enforced by the state, today consumers choose for themselves. Therefore, citizens worldwide, including those in South Korea, must focus on accepting their given genetic conditions as they are and building political and social systems that enable happiness within those conditions.
This is the only path that allows humanity, even amidst rapid technological change, to advance without forgetting its original purpose—namely, the realization of a society that guarantees human dignity and happiness.
