Almighty Homosapiens
Human beings are classified in the kingdom animalia, the same kingdom in which any animal on this planet is classified. However, as Homo sapiens, there is something more to us than the rest of the species in our kingdom. We have the distinct ability to build off what we have learned from one another in order to continually develop new methodologies, skills and competencies. In doing so, we have become dissatisfied with living our lives simply for the sake of reproduction as other animals do. As humans have evolved we, in a sense, have come to a period of time in which we are learning and creating at a level too high for our own good. Through major advancements in science and technology, as well our distinct ability to think past the basic needs of life, human beings are becoming a species with more power than we are fit to handle. In Gattaca, a movie set in the future, technology has developed in such a way that allows people to select what qualities they want to provide for their offspring. At first glance, having this ability seems highly desirable. Parents can choose the behaviors that they believe will provide their son or daughter with the best possible future. However, eliminating all of our imperfections is not necessarily as ideal as it sounds. Some of the most impressive human accomplishments have come from a situation in which a person’s status is considered inferior because of a disability they have. These life-changing disabilities, or errors, often shape a person to become someone they would normally never be and push them to do things beyond their imagination. Thus, this idea that perfect means errorless is false; instead, perfection should be defined as ‘satisfying to whom it applies’. We often define a term by explaining what is not, rather than what it is. If perfection is not defined as errorless, than error is acceptable in our idealistic world. Scientifically speaking, errors are mutations that without, humans simply would not
Cited: Niccol, Andrew. “Gattaca.” Being Human. Ed. Leon Kass. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. 34-38. Print. Stevenson, Robert Lewis. “Child’s Play.” Being Human. Ed. Leon Kass. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. 531-538. Print Thomas, Lewis. “The Wonderful Mistake.” Being Human. Ed. Leon Kass. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. 31-33. Print. Whitman, Walt. “When I Head The Learn’d Astronomer.” Being Human. Ed. Leon Kass. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. 540. Print. Lattimore, Richmond. “The Odyssey Of Homer.” Being Human. Ed. Leon Kass. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. 371-377. Print.