obviousTue, Apr 22, 2008 Rarely is the possible influence of 'market forces' considered in these type of debates. It was nice to see it here (all be-it briefly):
...libertarian, consumer-driven eugenics motivated by the free play of human desire, technology and markets.
I don't believe we will have the kind of free-will over our 'destinies' that many transhumanist thinkers imagine. The actions of human evolution have already been influenced by our cultural-augmentation (e.g. arguments about the value of art for instance posit a cultural foundation; the Western 'culture' of consuming milk/lactose affected the genes caucasians carry in their stomachs to digest the stuff). At present the 'free' market is the greatest cultural force in existence. As new technologies become ever more prevalent and integrated into our biological capacities it will be these market forces that - in the long run - will influence the re-definition of homo-sapien. But 'consumer driven' does not necessarily mean 'people get what they want, when they want, how they want'. The market works for itself: the consumer may be the driver, but the engine is most definitely the market, the industry and the corporation and the fuel is money, shares and stock-prices.
Of course choices we make, as individuals and as a society; a civilisation at large, will effect the outcome of the greatest eugenic experiment in history, but seen from a grand scale, the wax and wane of economics, of social preference and class, of fashion, and other non controllable elements will have the greater impact on the direction our future 'evolution' will take.
Trying to limit the damage this uncontrollable force will inflict should be our first goal. By setting the laws and limits within which the market can act we will ultimately wield the greater control.
Rarely is the possible influence of 'market forces' considered in these type of debates. It was nice to see it here (all be-it briefly):
I don't believe we will have the kind of free-will over our 'destinies' that many transhumanist thinkers imagine. The actions of human evolution have already been influenced by our cultural-augmentation (e.g. arguments about the value of art for instance posit a cultural foundation; the Western 'culture' of consuming milk/lactose affected the genes caucasians carry in their stomachs to digest the stuff). At present the 'free' market is the greatest cultural force in existence. As new technologies become ever more prevalent and integrated into our biological capacities it will be these market forces that - in the long run - will influence the re-definition of homo-sapien. But 'consumer driven' does not necessarily mean 'people get what they want, when they want, how they want'. The market works for itself: the consumer may be the driver, but the engine is most definitely the market, the industry and the corporation and the fuel is money, shares and stock-prices.
Of course choices we make, as individuals and as a society; a civilisation at large, will effect the outcome of the greatest eugenic experiment in history, but seen from a grand scale, the wax and wane of economics, of social preference and class, of fashion, and other non controllable elements will have the greater impact on the direction our future 'evolution' will take.
Trying to limit the damage this uncontrollable force will inflict should be our first goal. By setting the laws and limits within which the market can act we will ultimately wield the greater control.