Gattaca: Ethical Issues of Genetic Engineering

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Relatively recently, the world discovered that genetic engineering was becoming a very real possibility. Those who oppose the process argue that this unnatural style of reproduction has an overwhelming potential for decisions being made based on reasons of vanity in regard to children. In Gattaca, Vincent is one of the last non-designer babies born as it becomes realized what kind of long-term benefits can be reached by taking advantage of careful selection processes. Vincent is born with a high likelihood of having poor vision, ADHD, depression and has a congenital heart defect that assures his death at the age of 30. His parents, like many responsible parents, wish to prevent these problems for their future child and therefore use the services of a genetic engineer to help them select the perfect viable embryo. As the boys reach adulthood, the world has already shifted to one in which invalids, those who were not born free of illness and other ‘defects’ like Vincent, are relegated to the lowest status in society as they can only perform the most menial jobs available. Despite his handicaps, though, Vincent has a strong desire to be an astronaut and eventually discovers a way to make his dreams come true. The film suggests that society will be unable to resist discriminating against people based on genetic testing even though this shouldn’t be the only test of a person’s value or ability.

Discussion

Society doesn’t seem to have changed much at the beginning of the film, but as Vincent begins moving in the outer world more, the tremendous changes that have occurred become clear. Vincent describes how his parents conceived him the ‘old fashioned way’ in an old 1950s car backseat, but his process while he checks into work seems more intrusive than we’re used to today. As he tells about how he grew up dreaming of space flight, he also tells the audience about how impossible this dream was because of his heart defect. His first jobs are as a janitor and he makes it clear that, because of his in-valid status, he will never rise above this position in life. As the police search for the in-valid they suspect killed the Gattaca director, they round them up in a pen and begin scanning each one of them as if they were pigs or cattle. Invalids have become the new minority group regardless of where they were born or what color they are. Because they are unable to get good jobs, they are forced to live in slums and are easily suspect for doing anything wrong.

Vincent’s co-worker Irene is an interesting study in how genetic engineering has determined the value of a person lies in their genetic perfection. Although she is a perfect worker, always on time, always perfectly groomed and always following orders without argument but with intelligence, she is passed over for missions all the time because she has an imperfect heart. She tells Vincent she has a minor heart murmur and so the best she can hope for is a small orbit around Earth. Even though she is imperfect herself and understands the unfairness of being passed over because of this potential imperfection, she still tends to value others based on their genetic structure. This is made clear when she has a piece of hair Vincent left on a combat work to be coded before she’ll consider dating him. This is in spite of the fact that she is already physically attracted to him and knows she shares his interests as they are the only two people at Gattica that seem to watch every launch.

Vincent learns through his races with his brother in the ocean that genetic perfection is not a true test of a person’s abilities. Although his brother always beats him in their races out to sea, Vincent learns how to give everything he has to accomplish his dreams. When he learns how to give all, Vincent discovers what true ability is. Although the world he lives in has determined that the only measure of a man is his genetic profile, Vincent discovers another element of man that science and society have forgotten. As Ramsey (1970) pointed out long ago, there remain elements of individuality that no test has yet been devised to discover. “Men ought not to play God before they learn to be men, then, after they have learned to be men, they will not play God” (Ramsey, 1970). Although Vincent was weak in body and was ruled in-valid by his society, he still managed to use his intelligence and his imagination to work around the system enough to make his dreams come true. At the same time that this in-valid individual was achieving a great deal of success and prestige, his valid counterpart Jerome was incapable of living with his ‘perfect’ status after he managed to only win a silver medal.

Conclusion

Although it is proven that genetic perfection cannot accurately measure a person’s true ability or value to another, Gattaca argues that society would be unable to resist the temptation of using genetic profiling as a means of screening potential candidates for various activities. Even though it is illegal to discriminate based on genetic elements, Vincent’s story illustrates how companies and even daycare centers were able to discriminate against him because of his genetic code.

Works Cited

Ramsey, P. (1970). Fabricated Man: The Ethics of Genetic Control. New Haven: Yale University Press.

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Gattaca: Ethical Issues of Genetic Engineering

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