"Improvement of the Species"
by Catherine Alfieri
Last year's Super Bowl featured a spot in which Christopher Reeve
is portrayed as miraculously regaining his ability to walk. This
courageous man has vowed that this goal will be met within this decade.
Research from several sources promises cures for blindness via retinal and
cortical chips - the cortical chip even may even confer a further ability to see
in the dark. Its researcher forecasts that the normally sighted will
clamor for this procedure as it will become as easy to perform as the current
Lasik surgery for the nearsighted.
Cochlear implants already allow previously deaf individuals to enjoy a modicum
of hearing never thought possible.
Hands and other body parts are reattached with various degrees of regained
function.
There are very few of us who would not hail these advances in restoring life
functions to the disabled. Yet some individuals affected by each of the
above conditions do not view these developments as necessary or good as they see
their lives as normal, fulfilled and not in need of any tweaking.
Pharmacological advances have helped millions conquer depression, reduce
hyperactivity, revive sexual potency, withdraw from substance abuse, lose weight
and minimize wrinkles. Plastic surgery allows resculpting of one's
anatomy. Some religious/psychological interventions even claim to
extinguish homosexual tendencies. Genetic mapping promises the
possibilities of optimizing the characteristics of future generations. With
amniocentesis we can also preview our progeny and discard any that have less
than desirable attributes.
We are a society that prides ourselves on being the best, celebrating
excellence, exhorting each other towards continuous improvement. At what
point, however, does the process of natural selection become the process of
super-natural selection? What exactly do we define as a truly
superior being and what criteria do we have for a life of the highest quality?
Is it more important to cure paralysis or to cure the violence that contributes
to so many cases of paralysis?
Is it more important to cure blindness or to cure racism so we are truly
"color blind"?
Is it more important to cure baldness, obesity, real and/or imagined
disfigurements and personality quirks or to cure the intolerance that allows us
to denigrate and devalue those who do not adhere to our lofty standards for
beauty and behavior?
None of these have to be either/or propositions nor should we shy away from
striving to be the best we can be. It is important, however, to think
seriously about what makes one the best, what constitutes a fulfilled life of
quality, what the road to continuous improvement for our society and
ourselves should be.