unibomber-manifesto
unibomber-manifesto
unibomber-manifesto
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INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY AND ITS Fl1T\JRE<br />
follow the introduction of genetic engineering of human beings, beeau the consequences of<br />
ul\Iegulated genetic engineering would be disamous. l'<br />
124. The Usual response to such ooncems is to talk about "medical ethiC.!." But a code of ethics ·<br />
would not serve to protect frw:Iom in the face of medical progress; it would only make matten<br />
worse. A code of ethics applicable to genetic engineering would be in effect a means of regulating the<br />
genetic consrltudon of hUman beings. Somebody (probably the upper-middle class, mostly) would<br />
decide that such and such applications of genetio engineering Well!l "ethical" and others were not, so<br />
that in effect they would be imposing their own values on the genetic constitution of thc population<br />
aI largo. Even If a code of ethics were chosen on a completely democrade basis, the majority would<br />
be imposing their own values on any rninoritiu who might have a different Idea of what constituted<br />
an "clhica1" use of genetic engineering. The only code of ethics thl[ would truly protect freedom<br />
would be one that prohibited ANY genetic engineering of human beings, and you can be sure that 1\0<br />
such code will ever be applied in a technological .ociety. No code that reduced genetic engineering to<br />
a millOr role could stand up for long, because the tcmptalion pttsented by the immensc power of<br />
biotechnology would be irremstible, espcci811y since to the majority of people many of il5<br />
applications will .seem obviously and unequivocally good (ellminaling physical and mental diseases,<br />
giving people the abilities they need to get along in today'l world). Inevitably, genetic engineering<br />
....;u be used extensively, but only in ways consistent with the needs of the industrial-technological<br />
!i)'stcm. ZI<br />
TECHNOLOGY IS A MORE<br />
POWERFUL SOCIAL FORCE THAN<br />
THE ASPIRATION FOR FREEDOM<br />
125. It is oot poS51ble to make a lASTING compromise between technology and freedom, because<br />
technology is by far the more powerful social force and continually encroachCl on Dudom through<br />
REPEATED compromises. Imagine the ease of two neighboun, each of wbom I[ the outset owns the<br />
same amount of land, but one of wbom is more powerful. than the