Genetic engineering is a broad term referring to the alteration of an organism’s genes in order to remove unwanted characteristics of the organism or to add desirable characteristics (Levine). Genetic engineering has been applied to plants and animals for greater and more efficient food production ever since the agricultural revolution. It is also used on humans in the medical industry. Genetic engineering techniques are used to identify and treat certain diseases as well as aid doctors in creating custom made drugs for specific patients (Gorman, 1999, pg 79-83).
Many arguments critical of genetic engineering presuppose that it is capable of creating individuals of a specified type or with particular qualities. Recent investigations of neural development yield data which reveal that there are good reasons to believe this assumption is false. These studies have produced a significant body of research showing that experience and environment following birth powerfully shape the brain's structure and the ways it functions. This result implies that the genetically identical brains of two different individuals will likely develop in markedly different ways, and thus that they will have different abilities and personal qualities. In addition, research shows that individual character and values are closely linked with neural development and are also molded by early experience. Finally, there are a number of reasons to believe that attempts to control an individual's environment in an attempt to nurture desired characteristics will fail.
These conclusions do not imply that genetic engineering is necessarily benign or innocuous; they imply only that certain arguments commonly directed against it are misconceived.
Powerful technology inspires both hope and fear. Genetic engineering promises to be powerful indeed. But, before we can decide how much to hope for or fear from genetic engineering, we must try to understand how powerful it is likely to be..............
