An Enhanced Genotype Ethical Issues Involved with Genetic...

An Enhanced Genotype: Ethical Issues Involved with Genetic Engineering and their Impact as Revealed by Brave New World Human society always attempts to better itself through the use of technology. Thus far, as a species, we have already achieved much: mastery of electronics, flight, and space travel. However, the field in which the most progress is currently being made is Biology, specifically Genetic Engineering. In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, humanity has taken control of reproduction and biology in the same way that we have mastered chemistry and physics. Efficiency drives the entire goal of society, leading to the creation of an assembly-line process. The entire society is driven by the desire for efficiency, to the point that†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, the genetic engineering provides the ability to create identical twins for the lower castes. The â€Å"Bokanovsky’s Process† is used in order to create identical individuals, and has the s ide effect of destroying weaker cells (Huxley 6-7), thus promoting natural selection through eugenics. Not only does the process provide a greater population for the lower castes, the identical nature (that is, lack of individuality) makes the population easier to control. Not only does the genetic engineering process provide the many identical people for the population that is specifically suited to their jobs, it also removes every sense of family. Being raised in vitro without any family helps reinforce the societal values of â€Å"Every one belongs to every one else† (Huxley 40). In a society where all personal contacts are repressed, and everyone is expected to consistently change partners, this side effect could not possibly be more beneficial. While genetic engineering is possible in the modern technology (albeit not to the level presented in Brave New World), it comes with significant ethical questions as to if and when the treatment should be applied, as well as who should be receiving the treatment. In Brave New World, there are no ethical dilemmas as to if and how genetic engineering (technically eugenics in the form that it is used) despite the high level of technological advancement. While this is a contrast to the current scientific