Is genetic engineering and eugenics our happy future?
The Future of happinessA fragment from the collection The Future of science in the XXI century.
The next fifty years / Ed . John Brockman. (John Brockman. The Next Fifty Years: Science in the First Half of the Twenty-First Century).
Source: nature-wonderThe author of the following suggests thinking about how technologies for changing human nature can (or cannot) be used to achieve a sense of life satisfaction.
Why, in the name of what, control human genetics? This is a problem that will be acutely facing us in fifty years.
Our ancestors used crude methods of genetic selection. Long before the existence of genes became known, farmers knew that children inherited the traits of their parents and that it was possible to breed a pumpkin of unprecedented size or improve the breed of pigs by breeding. It was easy to assume that the principle "the best is born from the best" is applicable to man. Plato devoted most of the fifth book of his essay "The State" to the issue of using the principles of breeding hunting dogs for the "improvement" of the state. In chapter 459 he wrote:
"... the best men should unite with the best women, and the worst with the worst, and as rarely as possible, and the offspring of the best men and women should be educated, and the offspring of the worst – no, this is the only way to maintain the community in the best possible way. But this should be done secretly, so that only the rulers know about it, otherwise there will be a danger of uprisings." Earlier, in the third book, in chapter 415, he stated: "And God first of all requires rulers to guard the purity of the race more than anything else."
Almost all societies at one time engaged in what we call "eugenics" or "genetic engineering". In justification, they often claimed that their actions had nothing to do with biology, that such were religious rites or folk customs. It is useful to remember that the idea of the right of every person to reproduce appeared relatively recently. Previously, it was believed that only the chosen ones should reproduce, those who were very likely to give birth to smart and beautiful children.
The practice testified in favor of a marriage concluded between healthy, strong, well-looking, financially prosperous people. As a guarantee that children will not become a burden to society, it was customary in some countries to demand a dowry from the bride, in others – a kalym from the groom. Public opinion supported the age-old tradition. If a person was poor or ill, then the chances of having a family were drastically reduced. There were also more radical methods of birth control – castration and infanticide. Probably, infant baptism also served, among other things, the selection of viable individuals, because not every baby safely endured immersion in cold water.
The ancient selection went at random, without the slightest understanding of how different traits are inherited. The situation has changed a lot these days. Today, two areas of human science are actively developing – behavior genetics and evolutionary psychology. Behavior genetics studies the basics of behavior and everything related to it – mental illness, a tendency to divorce, political preferences and even a sense of satisfaction with life. Evolutionary psychology is looking for mechanisms by which these traits are passed from generation to generation. Both approaches assume that nature and upbringing are involved in the formation of behavior, thoughts and emotions, but unlike the practice of the twentieth century, nature is now preferred.
Although important signs can hardly depend on one or even several genes, some experts believe the era of "child development" is just around the corner. Even if their optimism is excessive, there is no denying that we will soon face a difficult choice. It is interesting to note that the leading geneticists with whom my colleagues and I have been talking recently rarely take seriously the controversial aspects of their work. They claim that their research has nothing to do with eugenics. The possibility of human cloning makes them laugh, and the danger of using the achievements of genetics for evil purposes does not bother them at all. They almost unanimously deny their responsibility for the application of the acquired knowledge. From their point of view, society itself must decide how to dispose of genetic technologies. "Is the "society" ripe for making such a decision?" – geneticists do not ask such questions. Inevitably, a story that happened to physics comes to mind. In the 1940s, Niels Bohr argued that the results of experiments on splitting the atomic nucleus have no practical application.
If geneticists do not want to think, we will reflect. Let's assume that scientists will learn to dramatically increase the intellectual level underlying linguistic and mathematical abilities. Is it good or bad? Until recently, it didn't take much intelligence to become successful. It was only necessary to be hardworking, honest, decent, benevolent. Today, the ability to abstract thinking is a necessary prerequisite for any material or social success. If we start to genetically enhance this trait, the trend will grow exponentially. The gap between "brilliant" and "average" people will increase and, accordingly, the difference in their economic and political situation. This will lead to the spread of inbreeding: someone with an IQ above 200 will never choose a pair with a coefficient below 150. If gene manipulation affects the gametes, then such preferences will automatically be passed on to the next generations.
But what if we increase the intelligence of all people, of the entire civilization as a whole? Will it be good? Is unknown. As Aristotle said, excessive virtue turns into vice: courage into recklessness, caution into indecision. The dubious connection between genius and insanity suggests that a person can pay for superintelligence, for example, hypersensitivity, which leads to the development of anxiety and depression. Or, judging by the selfish orientation of rational reasoning in the style of Ayn Rand, the opposite will happen: there will be a species that surpasses us in indifference and cruelty.
The more fundamental question is, if we learn to manipulate human genes, should we strive for uniformity or diversity? The prospect of making all Earthlings smart, beautiful, ambitious and successful is very tempting. Diversity is fraught with risk. Who knows what it will bring! However, E.O. Wilson's arguments in favor of biological diversity are also applicable to psychology. A homogeneous mass not only looks frighteningly dull, but it can also be simply unviable. Since the future is always unpredictable, it is dangerous to focus on signs that meet the immediate need. It is better to have a diverse gene pool that provides a wide range of properties, then humanity will not lose the ability to adapt.
If genetic engineering is guided by market principles, and not obey the instructions of a central computer, how many warriors, workers and parasites there should be in the next generation, then the technology of producing happy children will be in the greatest demand. Parents usually answer the question: "What do you want for your child?": "A good education, a good job, but the most important thing is happiness on the chosen path." In this they agree with Aristotle. Indeed, education, money, beauty, intelligence are only means to achieve the goal, while happiness is the goal itself. If, with the help of some tricks, it is possible to make children happy, then future parents will line up in multi-kilometer queues for an appointment with geneticists.
According to the results of a survey of twins raised together and separately, happiness is 50% determined by genetic factors. Of course, the assessment of the degree of "happiness" is questionable (everyone understands this in their own way), but there are certain signs of life satisfaction. Judging by them, happiness does not depend on personal successes or failures, but on economic conditions, the political situation and other external factors. Nevertheless, heredity plays an important role.
Let's say in a few decades we will learn how to increase the probability of happiness in our children. Will they benefit from such a service? Will society and the human species as a whole benefit? Before answering, let's find out what we know about happiness. It is obvious that the measure of happiness is self-perception. It correlates with the opinions of relatives and friends, with cases of pathologies and behavior. A person who feels happy and looks like that and holds himself accordingly. As a rule, happy people are extroverts, they have stable relationships with others and lead a healthy and productive life.
So everything is fine? Not quite. One of the common definitions of happiness says: "This is a state when you don't want anything else." Happy people are not inclined to put material well-being high, they are less susceptible to advertising and propaganda, they are less interested in power and success. And why would I? They are already happy. I'm afraid that a happy society is incompatible with our economic system built on satisfying insatiable needs.
Until now, academic psychology has neglected the problem of happiness. I think sooner or later she will have to catch up. To do this, psychologists will be forced to return to their circles, namely, to deal with the psyche. The main subject of their research will not be some kind of "soul", but a set of very specific phenomena occurring in the brain at the moments of perception, integration and reaction to external or internal stimuli. The reality of such phenomena as fear, joy, anger or hope, to which a person has direct access, is indisputable.
Personally, I want to develop a system of phenomenology that would help answer the following questions: how people's thoughts, feelings, goals and actions change throughout the day and throughout life; how these components of consciousness interact; at what moments of everyday life people feel happy. Any of these issues entails dozens of others, for example: how age, gender and ethnicity affect consciousness; how the indicators obtained today correlate with the indicators obtained last year. It is known that people who are passionate about something, purposeful, feel happier than those who lead a sluggish, empty life. The less a person does exclusively for himself and the wider his circle of communication, the happier he feels.
It is important to take into account that consciousness is a very specific subject, it cannot be investigated by methods suitable for simpler systems. This state is constantly changing. Based on the current moment, it is impossible to know exactly what will happen in a minute, even with all the information about brain biochemistry, genetics, learning, etc. Any accident can direct the course of thoughts or emotions in a completely new way.
This unpredictability is especially clearly seen in creative activity. Some believe that a poem (a sonata, a painting, or a scientific theory) reflects the poet's mindset. They're wrong. The beginning of the work really generates thoughts and feelings that possessed the poet before he took up the pen. But the development of the verse (and here it is appropriate to recall the element) depends entirely on the beginning, on what associations it causes. An expanding circle of values is formed, arising from an autonomous, self-organizing system based on its previous state, but not limited by it.
Let's take a more common case – the reaction of parents to the birth of a child. Geneticists and evolutionary psychologists are very interested in how and why parents have or do not have a spiritual connection with their child. The birth of a child is the oldest human experience, all generations have passed through it. Nevertheless, the first look at your child is always amazing. It is impossible to prepare for this event. Having information about the newborn (appearance, health, behavior) and his parents (relationships, financial situation, general life satisfaction), one can only guess what exactly they will feel in this situation. An accurate forecast is excluded, because a lot of external, transient factors will affect the parent's consciousness.
Psychology, if it were to study consciousness closely, will allow us to get a basis for a meaningful choice of the future. In the past, we were like passengers on an evolutionary train. Today, evolution is more like a space rocket, and we are no longer passengers, but pilots. Who are we going to populate our planet with? Biological copies of computers or creatures open to everything new, developing in an unpredictable way?
Psychology seems to be steering on the right road. In the USA and other countries, serious scientists are beginning to study issues that a few decades ago were not recognized as scientific problems (reason, life goals, internal motivations and spirituality). As president of the American Psychological Association, Martin E.P. Seligman founded the organization "Positive Psychology". Her intentions go far beyond the treatment of mental pathologies. Among the tasks is to identify the "strengths" inherent in all times and cultures, such as intelligence, courage, perseverance and honesty. Then it is planned to study how these qualities were acquired and cultivated. Such work is no less important than practical therapy and prevention of diseases. It will give us the necessary knowledge to successfully solve the dilemmas that will inevitably arise in fifty years.
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Mihai Csikszentmihalyi (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)
The author of the term and the theory of "flow", one of the most authoritative and respected psychologists in the world. He was born in what is now Croatia in a Hungarian family, grew up and studied in Italy, and his entire professional career developed in the USA. He is a professor at Claremont College, the author of a dozen and a half books, including the famous "Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience" ("Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience", Harper and Row, 1990). He is considered one of the most widely cited psychologists of our time in several fields related to psychology and business.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru25.08.2009