Comment le monde peut-il devenir encore plus évolué ? (étude en anglais)

The idea of progress basically consists in believing that the world can become better in terms of art, science, technology, liberty and quality of life.

Progress implies changes, some evolution from an older order to a new order which is not necessarily embraced by all. As the rhythm of progress seems to have accelerated recently with an ever faster increase of major technological and scientific breakthroughs, the cult of novelty and progress is now being questioned.

The medical sciences have progressed a lot these last decades. For example, the evolution of genetics allowing to cure some diseases. Is this progress really a positive advance?

First of all, the genetic discoveries are increasing the medical knowledge. Dolly the sheep was the first success of cloning from an adult mammal cell. The sheep’s birth was said to be one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs of the decade. Scientists declared it would enable them to study genetic diseases for which there was no cure and track down the mechanisms involved, improve the understanding of ageing and genetics, and lead to the production of cheaper medicines. In the medical field it would be possible to cure genetically transmitted diseases.

Today, it is possible to save a child by a transplant. The scientists choose the best stem cell in order to conceive a designer baby or spare parts baby to create and collect a piece of his body to save another child. Some people prefer to call it a “saviour sibling” because other terms used like “designer, harvest baby” give a bad image of the parents and principally of the baby. “Saviour sibling” is more extraordinary, it means he saved his brother or sister.

However, there are ethical controversies. How will be the life of such a baby? He will regularly have to go to a lot of doctors and specialists. Maybe he will also accuse his parents to have been conceived in the only aim to save his sibling and want to make his own choices.

Besides, this procedure signifies it will be possible to select the traits of the future embryos. Have a baby will become like a fast-food order. Even though this technique will enable to eradicate certain genetic diseases, it will lead to an impersonal society. As in a factory, a control of human specimens will be made. The perfect ones will be conserved whereas the inadequate will be thrown away. This mass production of human beings will obviously lead to uniformity and the release of clones that are considered a product deprived of individuality. The geneticians will manipulate life and could treat human beings like slaves or robots.

Consequently, the dangers are numerous. A lack of respect for life and ethics will appear, Humans will be considered as experiences. Moreover, everyone will be identical; there will be a loss of diversity and personality. Live the life as you want will be impossible. And to finish, discrimination, persecutions and racism could increase.

To conclude, on the one hand, I think it will help to improve the quality of the embryos, prevent drawbacks and ensure the birth of healthy beings by eradicating any possible diseases, which would be a real progress for the health of people. On the other hand, it will also wipe out all identity and create impersonal and dehumanized people who will be all similar to each other. Can we create embryos, which also are human beings, in the only aim to cure other human

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