Our Posthuman Future (Fukuyama)

Fukuyama does a good put-on of outlining the history of science that has led us to this juncture. He examines the imperishable and unresolvable nature-nurture argu ments close to whether clement nature is more parasitical on genetics or environment, which in the case of human beings is always modified by culture. And he brings some much-needed leafy vegetable sense to out current political fights about how to wangle nuclear weapons and biotechnology by quoting Heidigger, who points out that underneath our furbish up with these issues is the much more damning truth that the real brat to man is non from whiz external technology or another, "but has always afflicted man in his amount" (Fukuyama 3).

He comments on how prescient both of the key futurist novels of the 20th century - Aldous Huxley's Brave New domain and George Orwell's 1984 - were in predicting current political and ethical issues resulting from scientific advances. Huxley foreshadowed straightaway's hot-button biotech concerns by anticipating in vitro fertilization, surrogate mothers, the use of psychotropic drugs for control of behaviour, and human genetic engineering. Orwell's insight was in his depiction of the telescreen by which Big

Fukuyama agrees with Huxley's pessimistic prediction that early community raised in test tubes, drugged by soma, and genetically engineered like worker bees in a hive, although happy and healthy, would be "inhuman" (6). Then he quotes Leon Kass, whose comment relates directly to the variety of dumbed-down media culture coming at us from all sides today: "The people dehumanised by Brave New World are not miserable, don't know they are dehumanized, and what is worse, would not feel for if they knew?[they would be] happy slaves in a slavish happiness" (6). "The nearly significant threat posed by contemporary biotechnology is the possibility that it will alter human nature" writes Fukuyama, which he refers to as "posthuman" (7).

Fukuyama, Francis. Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotech Revolution. Picador, New York.

2002. 272 pp.

Current researches in gerontology and the study of ageing at the cellular level, combined with our increase ability to modify our own genetic code, may unwrap significant extensions of the human life span. But whether or not we ever find a longevity pill, he makes one of the strongest arguments for pursuing these radical new approaches to human modification of sympathy by citing the 20th century's greatest scientific achievement: " the education of life expectancy at birth from 48.3 historic period for men and 26.3 years for women in 1900 top 74.2 years for men and 79.9 years for women in 2000" (57).

He finally concludes that human nature consists of a mixture of traits such as moral choice, reason, language, sociability, sentience, emotion, and consciousness. "Why don't we only if accept our destiny as creators who modify themselves?"(7).

Brother could monitor everyone's private and public behaviour - a two-way TV transmitter comparable to the Internet.

He is very informative about the threats to human nature posed by current and future advances in biotechnology. He lists four main stag
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