Francis Fukuyama' s idea of human dignity Essay

Francis Fukuyama' s idea of human dignity - Essay Example Francis Fukuyama pronounced that man has not yet reached the end of history for man has not yet reached the end of science. The discussion of the consequences of biotechnology does comprise the strongest part of Fukuyama's latest book. Francis Fukuyama is able to stress out the ways in which man is benefiting from the surfacing of biotechnology as he stated in his emergent theory with this idea it is possible to reconcile his idea with Surowiecki with regard to maintaining human dignity amidst man's continuous use of biotechnology.The author is popular for his statements on biotechnology and human dignity more than a decade ago that, because the other possibilities to liberal egalitarianism had pushed themselves, history as we knew it was at a conclusion.Fukuyama's objective is not simply to describe the consequences of biotechnology, but to insist that biotechnology suggests unwelcome consequences both the designation of man and the existing communal structure. Fukuyama promotes tha t government institutions should be recognized to assess and standardize biotechnological innovations.The revolution of biotechnology as an emergence of progress and development is very evident with the rise into power of the breakthroughs in the pharmaceutical industry wherein medicines are now aimed not only to cure diseases but also to improve the existing normal conditions. For example, Prozac is used by people who are not depressed to increase confidence and reduce shyness; Ritalin is used by adults who do not have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder to increase their capacity to focus attention for sustained periods; and the antinarcoleptic Modafil is used by long-distance truck drivers who do not have narcolepsy to reduce their need for sleep. Nanotechnology is responsible for genetic modifications giving man the power to create their ideal man by selection of traits that affects the genetic makeup of future offspring. In vitro fertilization together with preimplantation genetic diagnosis now makes it possible to avoid the implantation of embryos with genes for serious disease or to select for sex. Human cloning has been a long-term debatable topic when it comes to biotechnology. There has been a widespread opposition to it. Many commentators have expressed a wide variety of concerns about these advances, such as their very worrisome potential to increase inequalities between those who can afford genetic enhancements for their children and those who cannot. It is unquestionable that our equal moral status, or worth, rests on certain properties we share, or as Fukuyama puts it, on our common human nature. Few argue that it is morally wrong to kill bacteria; presumably this is because the bacteria lack these properties. Fukuyama defines human nature as "the sum of the behavior and characteristics that are typical of the human species, arising from genetic rather than environmental factors." (Fukuyama, 217) It's worth noting that by this definition, human nature is an empty concept, because no human behavior or characteristic arises only from genetic rather than environmental factors-all are the result of complex interplay of those factors. But setting this difficulty aside, what is the common nature that could ground our human dignity and rights Fukuyama argues that it is the way language, reason, moral choice and emotions combine in humans that gives us human dignity. Our dignity rests on what he calls Factor X, "some essential human quality underneath [contingent and accidental characteristics] that is worthy of a certain minimal level of respect." (Fukuyama, 136) This "human essence" is a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts: If what gives us dignity and a moral status higher than that of other living creatures is related to the fact that we are complex wholes rather than the sum of simple parts, then it is clear that there is no simple answer to the question, What is Factor X That is, Factor X cannot be reduced to the possession of moral choice, or reason, or language,