The Conflict Between Human Rights And Biotechnological Evolution
By Srinivas Raman,
Eurasia Review
| 04. 11. 2015
Untitled Document
In 1997, Dolly the sheep became the first mammal ever to be successfully cloned. This was a major breakthrough in the field of genetic engineering and since then scientists worldwide have been trying to replicate the success in other mammals such as pigs, mice, cows, primates and even humans. However, the idea of genetic modification by using biotechnology existed way before Dolly did and was a cornerstone to the Nazi ideology and eugenics was used as a justification to commit heinous crimes against humanity such as genocide.[1]
Today, one of the most perilous issues but unfortunately one which has gained scarce global attention is whether humans should be genetically modified. This question raises several moral, ethical, legal and scientific considerations and is an extremely sensitive issue. The startling contemporary truth is that technology is at a stage where it is possible for scientists to clone humans and genetically engineer them.[2]
Genetically modifying humans has the potential to violate human rights and freedom and could possibly lead to catastrophic consequences for the human race if legalized and encouraged. Manipulating...
Related Articles
Several recent Biopolitical Times posts (1, 2, 3, 4) have called attention to the alarmingly rapid commercialization of “designer baby” technologies: polygenic embryo screening (especially its use to purportedly screen for traits like intelligence), in vitro gametogenesis (lab-made eggs and sperm), and heritable genome editing (also termed embryo editing or reproductive gene editing). Those three, together with artificial wombs, have been dubbed the “Gattaca stack” by Brian Armstrong, CEO of the cryptocurrency company...
Alice Wong, founder of the Disability Visibility Project, MacArthur Genius, liberationist, storyteller, writer, and friend of CGS, died on November 14. Alice shone a bright light on pervasive ableism in our society. She articulated how people with disabilities are limited not by an inability to do things but by systemic segregation and discrimination, the de-prioritization of accessibility, and the devaluation of their lives.
We at CGS learned so much from Alice about disability justice, which goes beyond rights...
By Adam Feuerstein, Stat | 11.20.2025
The Food and Drug Administration was more than likely correct to reject Biohaven Pharmaceuticals’ treatment for spinocerebellar ataxia, a rare and debilitating neurodegenerative disease. At the very least, the decision announced Tuesday night was not a surprise to anyone paying attention. Approval...
By Lucy Tu, The Guardian | 11.05.2025
Beth Schafer lay in a hospital bed, bracing for the birth of her son. The first contractions rippled through her body before she felt remotely ready. She knew, with a mother’s pit-of-the-stomach intuition, that her baby was not ready either...
