Re: No Innovation Without Representation?: “Human Enhancement”

With the pace and directions of techno-science, the next stage of human evolution seems to continue to be more imminent and different from what we (as humans) know. Humans have basic functions such as a pulsing heart or breathing that is essential to living. However, with enhancements humans can function more ‘optimally’, based on what one’s preferences or priorities are in life. These in turn could create an ever widening gap between the rich and poor; those who have access and can afford new technologies, and those who cannot.

As the chapter discusses enhancement in many ways, there are five main categories:

1.        Getting rid of inheritable diseases and defects that can be so devastating that the elimination would be desired by a huge majority of humanity.

2.       Assisting those who are handicapped to live a more functional life.

3.       Improving ordinary people’s performance such as better memory and health.

4.       Exacerbating the problem of winners vs. losers due to the marked advantage over others.

5.       Changing what it means to be human.

Within these categories, the first two are very simple to understand because most R&D is already heading in those directions such as genetic screening and assistive technologies. Genetic screening currently allows women -who can afford to - to genetically test fetuses for diseases. Surprisingly to my knowledge, an increasing amount of women are being tested as part of routine prenatal care. There have been various rumors about genetic testing, but I personally did not know that this technology was currently implemented and available. It is an interesting form of ‘natural selection’ that could possibly also lead to an increased gap between wealthy and poor for those who have access to afford this screening. In some ways, these women are choosing their child’s genetic makeup to a certain degree - preselecting ‘preferred’ genes and traits over others. Could this technology be developed or changed into something more that could possibly be harmful in the future? With the way science and technology is currently evolving, it certainly seems so; especially with the privatization of technology that allows the privileged initial access. This is one example of changing health from being a priority of one’s money to a priority of a child’s life. This privileged and prioritized portion of techno-science is what is most concerning. However, in this specific case of genetic testing, ridding people, populations and eventually generations of diseases is a beneficial thing that will valuable to all of humanity. The disease Tay-Sachs for instance has seen a 90% decline due to genetic screening, as well as declines with dysautonomia and sickle cell anemia. With these technologies, it is wonderful and astonishing that diseases are on their way to being eliminated. People (meaning the American public) need to be more aware of research available to them, but must also be provided with adequate and fair resources and opportunities.

In addition, category three aims toward modest enhancements for ordinary and everyday life improvement. Middle and upper-middle class Americans often have basic standards and regimes for health. These include vitamins, minerals, exercise, dental care, a balanced diet and medication among other things. These all contribute to a higher quality and prolonged life due to better maintaining one’s body. The herbal, vitamin and nutraceuticals corporations have become a $500 billion industry worldwide. In addition, there has been a steady increase in gym attendance, ‘health’ food purchases and other commodities and regimes that better one’s well-being. “These are all the early stages of science-enables supplementation” in which more and more scientific R&D is being used in products for the public. In one sense, this is great to have more products based off scientific research available to the general public, but how will research be skewed to trick the public as the consumer? This is a large problem that some ‘health’ foods have already come across through false labeling and advertising which the consumer becomes a victim of. Overall, this path of increased scientific R&D for daily life enhancements targets the average American and is beneficial to the wellbeing of the public as a whole.

On the other hand, categories four and five are directed towards more controversial issues such as winners vs. losers, and trans-humanism. “If physical and cognitive enhancements a good more extreme than those discussed” earlier, then a small minority of early adopters could use their newfound abilities to out-compete others. These enhancements could easily further the gap between the privileged and unprivileged or wealthy and poor through unbalanced distribution to those who can access and afford new technology. “Even mild enhancement capacities tend to flow toward those already advantaged in money, education, militarization, or other attributes conducive to understanding, purchasing, and utilizing the new potentials.” Even a simple increase in memory could easily leave everyone else behind, or militaries with enhanced soldiers could easily be victorious over other armies without such technology. How will these techno-science innovations fully impact our future? In regards to military use, part of it is the prioritization and effectiveness of resources - including money, materials and research - used. If one army has 10,000 cars, whereas the other has 1,000 tanks, there is an important difference in the effectiveness in each that is shown through quality over quantity. As these tech-science innovations steadily increase, it is quite possible that even interventions in the human brain and body are likely to appear as well. Scientists understand the body more and more each day, and as they do, more human capacities are transformed through technology which is leading to trans-humanism - a new stage of the evolution of humans.  Some trans-humanists even go as far as to ask “Why be human when you can be something better?”  This is a radical question to pose, but is in line with the “combination of genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and computer technology” that can enable “mind, body, and machine to become one.” Overall, these trans-humanists believe in the expansion of techno-science to increase ones lifespan, and meld the human mind with machine.  As these scientific innovations and research combine with technology, there is no doubt that humans capabilities will be drastically affected, changed and enhanced in the future.

Altogether these categories target key elements of human enhancement through techno-science. Whether it is to increase the well-being and life of those who truly need it (the disabled or impaired) and select undesired traits to remove diseases, improve one’s daily life or radically enhance human’s abilities, there are significant changes ahead. 

Sources:

                Woodhouse Chapter 15