Ethics of Modifying Humans Genetically - GATACCA did a good job!
By: Muznah Masood Khan
The sci-fi dystopian movie Gattaca is a futuristic film that posits a world in which genetic engineering, screening DNA, and being selected for higher positions on the basis of superior DNA is common. They try to show a future where a perfect person can exist without humanistic limitations such as illnesses like heart disease and cancers that we see today.
Genetic modification, or making “designer babies” is a process that alters the genetic makeup of an organism according to one’s desires, whether it’s of plants, animals, and even humans. Genetic modification as a concept is generally not new and has been done for thousands of years before scientists even discovered the word “gene” to improve the genetic code of plants and animals for better crop yields and selective breeding. Even before the term genetic modification became popular, unintentional modifications such as a wild wolf turning into a loyal dog kept taking place (Berthold). Today it’s used for things such as assistive reproduction for e.g. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and stem cell therapy. Gene modification is a process in which a person takes desirable traits, and/or removes the undesirable ones from the genetic code to improve an organism and remove its “flaws”, in the case of humans, the traits are chosen by birth parents according to their desires to eliminate physical defects in their unborn babies.
Before we discuss the ethical aspects of gene modification in the movie Gattaca, we first need to understand what genes actually are. According to an article, genes are sections in DNA that provide instructions for making proteins, which then build different structures and perform functions in living things (Berthold). Almost 99.9 percent of DNA of all organisms is similar, it’s the dissimilarity in the 0.01 percent that differentiates one person from another.
In the movie Gattaca, we see a world in which gene editing and having genetically modified children is the norm. In fact, the selective editing of the genetic code has been given so much preference that being born naturally or through obsolete means is looked down upon and considered invalid in society. From the very birth of a child, the movie shows the probabilities of a child having all kinds of illness and diseases, including the approximated time of death. The main character Vincent, who is played by Ethan Hawke and Loren Dean, is said to only live up to 30.2 years and is likely to have cardiovascular disease.
Due to those unlucky statistics, he is shunned by society and told that he would not amount to anything because of the “errors” and “flaws” in his genetic code and is not given the opportunity to peruse his dream of going into space.
He is banned from even applying for a job on Gattaca because of his inferior code and the closest he is allowed to get inside it is if he works as a janitor. Due to this reason, he “borrows” the identity of an Olympic specialist with a great genetic code to gain entry into Gattaca, including using his blood and urine samples to convince authorities of his worth despite the fact that he was one of the best minds there. The movie caught the attention of many scientists and other people in power who aspire to reach such a dystopian reality to understand the dangers of it. When the movie first released, a molecular biologist at Princeton University stated that “Gattaca is a film that all geneticists should see if for no other reason than to understand the perception of our trade held by so many of the public-at-large.” (Lee)
People have argued and debated whether such a process is ethical since the movie highlights the genetic discrimination a person like Vincent in real life could face as they make unfavorable candidates for every opportunity.
As explained by science, there are two types of gene editing; somatic and germline, which alter the genome. While somatic gene editing only affects the person who’s genes are being modified, including some cells, germline affects all the cells in the body, as well as the sperm and the eggs, changes which could be passed down to future generations with unpredictable consequences. (Bergman)
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Taking the movie into consideration, there are many questions that arise in terms of ethical values. Firstly, is it the genetic code that determines a person’s identity and worth, or is it their mindset and skills, and is that supposed inferiority grounds for discrimination? Secondly, the characterization and organization of people into valid and invalid categories as shown in the movie is very dehumanizing. Moreover, parents modifying their children before they’re even born begs the question of consent. Professor of philosophy, Rivka Weinberg stated, "Experimentation on human subjects without their consent is inherently problematic," Weinberg said. "There are not only risks, [but also] the risks are not mapped out. We don't even know what we are risking." (Ross)
As shown in the movie, Vincent, or Jerome, defies his odds and the probability of early death by being determined to make it into space and so remains healthy and athletic to stay fit. He also studies and works really hard to maintain his level of performance, which is exactly what is expected from a person with a privileged genetic endowment, and overcomes all the seemingly irrelevant problems in his genetic structure such as heart condition through exercise and determination. So the central ethical issue shown becomes how an individual should be judged. “The human genome determines only the structural mechanisms that exist in the individual organism. How the individual employs those mechanisms is a matter of pure willpower and determination. Only a few genes can conclusively determine an individual’s fate.” (Stolyarov)
It would also be no surprise to see that the wealthier elite and the privileged would be better able to access such treatments and create an even further inequality between different classes. Despite the fact that gene editing is a relatively safe process, there are other social consequences that one must take into consideration. All in all, Gattaca did a good job in showing the ethical concerns of genetic engineering by showing the adverse effects it could have on society such as creating divisions and inequalities, creating low self-esteem and characterizing one’s worth based on one genetic structure and limiting people from opportunities because of it. Moreover, they also showed that even the supposed perfect and elite persons can have flaws, which is what gives a person their humanistic qualities, such as the real Jerome/Eugene being suicidal and having no motivation or ambition for life, or Vincent’s brother Anton, who was beaten by him twice in a swimming competition and almost drowned but was saved by his brother who actually had the inferior or disadvantaged genetic structure.
References:
Stolyarov, Gennady. “An analysis of ethical issues in the film ‘GATTACA.’” The Rational Argumentator, 2014, http://www.rationalargumentator.com/index/blog/2014/07/ethical-issues-gattaca/
Berthold, Emma. “What Is Genetic Modification?” Australian Academy of Science, 2019, http://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/what-genetic-modification
Lee, Patrick. “‘Gattaca,’ The Dystopian Science Fiction Film Whose Time Has Come.” Medium, medium.com/outtake/gattaca-the-dystopian-science-fiction-film-whose-time-has-come-9ede1bd35c5b
Bergman, Mary Todd. “Perspectives on Gene Editing.” The Harvard Gazette, 2019, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/01/perspectives-on-gene-editing/
Ross, Rachel. “What Is Genetic Modification?” Live Science, www.livescience.com/64662-genetic-modification.html
Genetic modification, or making “designer babies” is a process that alters the genetic makeup of an organism according to one’s desires, whether it’s of plants, animals, and even humans. Genetic modification as a concept is generally not new and has been done for thousands of years before scientists even discovered the word “gene” to improve the genetic code of plants and animals for better crop yields and selective breeding. Even before the term genetic modification became popular, unintentional modifications such as a wild wolf turning into a loyal dog kept taking place (Berthold). Today it’s used for things such as assistive reproduction for e.g. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and stem cell therapy. Gene modification is a process in which a person takes desirable traits, and/or removes the undesirable ones from the genetic code to improve an organism and remove its “flaws”, in the case of humans, the traits are chosen by birth parents according to their desires to eliminate physical defects in their unborn babies.
https://joycebowen.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/download-2.jpg
Before we discuss the ethical aspects of gene modification in the movie Gattaca, we first need to understand what genes actually are. According to an article, genes are sections in DNA that provide instructions for making proteins, which then build different structures and perform functions in living things (Berthold). Almost 99.9 percent of DNA of all organisms is similar, it’s the dissimilarity in the 0.01 percent that differentiates one person from another.
Picture credit: Factor Daily.com
Due to those unlucky statistics, he is shunned by society and told that he would not amount to anything because of the “errors” and “flaws” in his genetic code and is not given the opportunity to peruse his dream of going into space.
Pictures credit: neuwritesd.org and cyberpunk.com respectively
People have argued and debated whether such a process is ethical since the movie highlights the genetic discrimination a person like Vincent in real life could face as they make unfavorable candidates for every opportunity.
As explained by science, there are two types of gene editing; somatic and germline, which alter the genome. While somatic gene editing only affects the person who’s genes are being modified, including some cells, germline affects all the cells in the body, as well as the sperm and the eggs, changes which could be passed down to future generations with unpredictable consequences. (Bergman)
Picture credit: Cyberpunk.com
As shown in the movie, Vincent, or Jerome, defies his odds and the probability of early death by being determined to make it into space and so remains healthy and athletic to stay fit. He also studies and works really hard to maintain his level of performance, which is exactly what is expected from a person with a privileged genetic endowment, and overcomes all the seemingly irrelevant problems in his genetic structure such as heart condition through exercise and determination. So the central ethical issue shown becomes how an individual should be judged. “The human genome determines only the structural mechanisms that exist in the individual organism. How the individual employs those mechanisms is a matter of pure willpower and determination. Only a few genes can conclusively determine an individual’s fate.” (Stolyarov)
It would also be no surprise to see that the wealthier elite and the privileged would be better able to access such treatments and create an even further inequality between different classes. Despite the fact that gene editing is a relatively safe process, there are other social consequences that one must take into consideration. All in all, Gattaca did a good job in showing the ethical concerns of genetic engineering by showing the adverse effects it could have on society such as creating divisions and inequalities, creating low self-esteem and characterizing one’s worth based on one genetic structure and limiting people from opportunities because of it. Moreover, they also showed that even the supposed perfect and elite persons can have flaws, which is what gives a person their humanistic qualities, such as the real Jerome/Eugene being suicidal and having no motivation or ambition for life, or Vincent’s brother Anton, who was beaten by him twice in a swimming competition and almost drowned but was saved by his brother who actually had the inferior or disadvantaged genetic structure.
References:
Stolyarov, Gennady. “An analysis of ethical issues in the film ‘GATTACA.’” The Rational Argumentator, 2014, http://www.rationalargumentator.com/index/blog/2014/07/ethical-issues-gattaca/
Berthold, Emma. “What Is Genetic Modification?” Australian Academy of Science, 2019, http://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/what-genetic-modification
Lee, Patrick. “‘Gattaca,’ The Dystopian Science Fiction Film Whose Time Has Come.” Medium, medium.com/outtake/gattaca-the-dystopian-science-fiction-film-whose-time-has-come-9ede1bd35c5b
Bergman, Mary Todd. “Perspectives on Gene Editing.” The Harvard Gazette, 2019, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/01/perspectives-on-gene-editing/
Ross, Rachel. “What Is Genetic Modification?” Live Science, www.livescience.com/64662-genetic-modification.html
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