In this episode you listened to Karen Keegan’s story about her disputed motherhood and Dr. Silver’s story about a college student who wanted to be impregnated by a chimpanzee. Use one or both of these stories to help explain your answer to the following question: What makes a human, human? Humans, by definition, are distinguished from other animals as representing the human species. However the concept of what makes humans human, is much more complex. In the story told by Dr. Silver, one of his students wanted to be impregnated by a chimpanzee, to see what the resulting offspring would be like. Would it be more human, or more chimp-like? The student was eventually dissuaded of completing this experiment, but if she had, it would have most likely been rejected by society. Humans are beings that can make their own decisions, they can chose from right and wrong. Living together in a society influences the choices one makes. If the student had chosen to go through with the experiment, she would have most likely been ostracized by most of society. Being impregnated by a species that is not human, is seen as wrong in most societies. This consciousness of what others think of you, is what makes humans, human. Most other species do not think about doing something, based off what another animal would think. They act out of instinct. The need to please and be like everyone is a very human trait.
Do humans have the right to play God? Can any good come of humans playing God? Can humans come to terms with playing God?
Humans can "play God" but up to a certain point. The ability to save lives in modern medicine has been a huge advancement for society. Saving people who were born with birth defects, gives them a chance to live their lives, increasing the population. However, prolonging the death of someone just so people don't have to let go is wrong. If someone is brain dead, and shows no signs of ever recovering then you should let the die naturally. Hooking them up to a machine is not right. In the podcast, one of the commentators brings up the point that creating life out of nothing could have dire consequences. If someone could figure out how to create life out of a dust particle, then diseases that have been long extinct could be brought back. The commentator uses the example of polio. Polio was a huge epidemic that took the force of many to eradicate. If life could be created out of one particle, it would take that one particle to destroy what many fought against. I think that society as a whole does not really understand the concept of Playing God. When it comes to themselves, most will chose whatever path will help the live longer, or make them stronger, but when it comes to others they do not condone certain practices. Humans can come to term with the act of playing God when it saves them, but when it is someone else they do not approve, in today's society.
What makes a human, human?
Humans, by definition, are distinguished from other animals as representing the human species. However the concept of what makes humans human, is much more complex. In the story told by Dr. Silver, one of his students wanted to be impregnated by a chimpanzee, to see what the resulting offspring would be like. Would it be more human, or more chimp-like? The student was eventually dissuaded of completing this experiment, but if she had, it would have most likely been rejected by society. Humans are beings that can make their own decisions, they can chose from right and wrong. Living together in a society influences the choices one makes. If the student had chosen to go through with the experiment, she would have most likely been ostracized by most of society. Being impregnated by a species that is not human, is seen as wrong in most societies. This consciousness of what others think of you, is what makes humans, human. Most other species do not think about doing something, based off what another animal would think. They act out of instinct. The need to please and be like everyone is a very human trait.
Do humans have the right to play God?
Can any good come of humans playing God?
Can humans come to terms with playing God?
Humans can "play God" but up to a certain point. The ability to save lives in modern medicine has been a huge advancement for society. Saving people who were born with birth defects, gives them a chance to live their lives, increasing the population. However, prolonging the death of someone just so people don't have to let go is wrong. If someone is brain dead, and shows no signs of ever recovering then you should let the die naturally. Hooking them up to a machine is not right. In the podcast, one of the commentators brings up the point that creating life out of nothing could have dire consequences. If someone could figure out how to create life out of a dust particle, then diseases that have been long extinct could be brought back. The commentator uses the example of polio. Polio was a huge epidemic that took the force of many to eradicate. If life could be created out of one particle, it would take that one particle to destroy what many fought against. I think that society as a whole does not really understand the concept of Playing God. When it comes to themselves, most will chose whatever path will help the live longer, or make them stronger, but when it comes to others they do not condone certain practices. Humans can come to term with the act of playing God when it saves them, but when it is someone else they do not approve, in today's society.