The Morality of Genetic Engineering

Michael Crichton’s latest pop thriller, “Next,” raises moral and legal issues of genetic engineering, not just transhumanism but, perhaps more fancifully, putting human genes into animals. What are the consequences of such advances?

Science isn’t about morality. In fact, it’s very hard to stop science because to stop science is to stop evolution. However, the way science is used is where morality comes into play. Knowing what is right and wrong has never been man’s strong point, but we all struggle with it, and seem to find our way — if not always gracefully. Men use science for many purposes, and it’s uses and morality are signs of the times.

All that said, as a relationship expert, I think that regulation of science is important today because everything happens so quickly, and there is an immoral element in our society — people who kill and hurt other people, often using science and technology to do so, as in terrorism.

But to hold back science is to hold back society. Regulation is merely the moral application of stops on a new life that is bursting to exist.