Our Posthuman Future
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Is a baby whose personality has been chosen from a gene supermarket still a human? If we choose what we create what happens to morality? Is this the end of human nature? The dramatic advances in DNA technology over the last few years are the stuff of science fiction. It is now not only possible to clone human beings it is happening. For the first time since the creation of the earth four billion years ago, or the emergence of mankind 10 million years ago, people will be able to choose their children's' sex, height, colour, personality traits and intelligence. It will even be possible to create 'superhumans' by mixing human genes with those of other animals for extra strength or longevity. But is this desirable? What are the moral and political consequences? Will it mean anything to talk about 'human nature' any more? Is this the end of human beings? Our Posthuman Future is a passionate analysis of the greatest political and moral problem ever to face the human race.
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First Fukuyama means having the exposure towards authors whose centrism gives way to reasonable skepticism and implied biases surfacing in spurts.
To that end, I feel that the style in which he interrogates facets of humanity that are linked to future effects of biotechnology is so long-winded. It easily drifts away from the thesis of the book because of how extensively he expositions a concept in whichever possible. It leaves me with a conclusion that... I guess feels way too underwhelming?
That isn't to say he offers premises or ideas that occasionally strike a chord. I think the thing with these types of authors is that they are compelling insofar as you don't view the context behind what they're saying.
But I could also be wrong and be dumb, this thing took me way too long to read.