Torch, Spring/Summer 2007

The current fervor over biotech research compares to the excitement about the space program in the 1960s. But instead of peering into telescopes at landing locations on the moon, scientists are peering into microscopes at genetic material. The potential rewards of biotechnology are incredible. The potential consequences are terrifying. How we view the value and dignity of humanity determines how far we go in accepting the possibilities. Each of the three major worldviews, Naturalism, Transcendentalism, and Theism, come to different conclusions. Naturalism: From Dust to Dust Naturalism holds humanity as merely physical with highly evolved abilities to reason, create, and express moral sensitivities. There is no God to grant us any value beyond what we can achieve. Man is merely a machine that works for a while and eventually runs down and stops forever. by William Brown, Ph.D. When it comes to biotechnology, it is not surprising that most naturalists see any attempt to improve the physical condition of humanity as a plus. Few envision any downside to such efforts, except where they might take away individual freedom and choice. In fact, most agree that biotechnology can free us from the tyranny of hunger, disabilities, disease, aging, and yes, even death. These advances can also enhance the human condition by increasing human intelligence, physical capabilities, and so on. Among Naturalists, there is a rapidly growing movement that believes that the elite scientific and intellectual community should assist human beings in the next stage of their evolution. According to the World Transhumanist Association, “this intellectual and cultural movement affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally altering the human condition through applied reason, especially by using technology to eliminate aging and greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities.” 4 TORCH Worldviews Under the Microscope