A Comment On 'A Glimpse Of Things To Come': Two Points Of View

A comment on 'A Glimpse of Things to Come': Two points of view

I. Lee M. Silvers point of view

Professor Lee M. Silver states in the prologue of his controversial book Remaking Eden: Cloning and Beyond in the Brave New World, that with the advancements in reprogenetics (a technological mixture of reproductive biology and genetics) parents can have "complete control over their genetic destiny" and can "enhance the characteristics" of their children and grand children. Silver stresses that "the driving force behind baby-making are the individuals and couples who want to reproduce themselves in their own image"

Furthermore in the present era the parents particularly in the American society control every part of their children's lives from birth till adulthood.

Governments cannot prevent the progress and development of reprogenetics unlike nuclear technology, because reprogenetics can be easily setup anywhere on a small scale and can be easily funded by the individuals interested in this field. The author argues further that the freedom granted by the society today cannot stop the use of reprogenetics by any individual.

II. The point of view of the opponents of reprogenetics

The opponents of reprogenetics argue that governments can control the technology in a similar manner as politics control nuclear technology. If reprogenetics is allowed to make a breakthrough then it could create a nightmarish dystopia with scenes similar to the ones mentioned in the novel Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley, where humans are mentioned as immoral emotionless androids that are controlled by the autocratic government. The opponents of the reprogenetics further state that the society is not ready to integrate the ideology of reprogenetics