Staying Human by Dinesh D'Souza
Humanity within Techno-utopia
Dinesh D’Souza, the author of Staying Human, is originally from Bombay, India. In 1983, he earned his Bachelor’s degree from Dartsworth College. D’Souza is known as a leading conservative thinker, who wrote for numerous magazines, notably the National Review (McGraw-Hill 816). Dinesh D’Souza has generalized Staying Human to inform as well as voice his opinions about the rapidly changing inventions among the human race today, which serves as a rational project to human life in its entirety. D’Souza aimed to point out the specifics in racism and cultural relativism. The title alone gives lead way to the topic about continuing humanity. Lee Silver, the biologist, states, that the modern technological invention of today, is the ability to create “designer children.” Designer children are referred to as the momentous possibility to create “virtual children” from a long list of traits on a computer screen. Parents then, are able to choose specific traits which interest them thus design their own offspring. From this, parents are given the ability to give their children genes that increase musical talents, height, and athletic abilities, for example. Gene therapy, along with the Human Genome Project, has boosted this power to design future generations as well as redesign humanity itself. (817) While this genetic technology has raised many criticisms, Jeremy Rifkin is one who stands firm against this techno-utopia. Rifkin, the author of The Biotech Century, believes that this new technology is unprecedented while it poses gave risks to human health. He also believes that cloning and genetic engineering are unnatural and should not be done. The Nazi idea of the superman is very much alive today but in a new form, in Rafkin’s view. This results in the illusion of the “perfect child.” Lee Silver highly disagrees with the views of Jeremy Rifkin. (818) In the process of creating the perfect child, D’Souza agrees with Lee Silver, that
Dinesh D’Souza, the author of Staying Human, is originally from Bombay, India. In 1983, he earned his Bachelor’s degree from Dartsworth College. D’Souza is known as a leading conservative thinker, who wrote for numerous magazines, notably the National Review (McGraw-Hill 816). Dinesh D’Souza has generalized Staying Human to inform as well as voice his opinions about the rapidly changing inventions among the human race today, which serves as a rational project to human life in its entirety. D’Souza aimed to point out the specifics in racism and cultural relativism. The title alone gives lead way to the topic about continuing humanity. Lee Silver, the biologist, states, that the modern technological invention of today, is the ability to create “designer children.” Designer children are referred to as the momentous possibility to create “virtual children” from a long list of traits on a computer screen. Parents then, are able to choose specific traits which interest them thus design their own offspring. From this, parents are given the ability to give their children genes that increase musical talents, height, and athletic abilities, for example. Gene therapy, along with the Human Genome Project, has boosted this power to design future generations as well as redesign humanity itself. (817) While this genetic technology has raised many criticisms, Jeremy Rifkin is one who stands firm against this techno-utopia. Rifkin, the author of The Biotech Century, believes that this new technology is unprecedented while it poses gave risks to human health. He also believes that cloning and genetic engineering are unnatural and should not be done. The Nazi idea of the superman is very much alive today but in a new form, in Rafkin’s view. This results in the illusion of the “perfect child.” Lee Silver highly disagrees with the views of Jeremy Rifkin. (818) In the process of creating the perfect child, D’Souza agrees with Lee Silver, that
Cited: D’Souza, Dinesh. "Staying Human." The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues across the Disciplines. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. 11th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 816-824. Print.