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post-modern prometheus: the future of humanity

by kimberley may maurice

"Ever heard of the Human Genome Project?" I was asked a month ago over lunch, "No." I answered, but waited patiently, knowing the explanation was soon to come. I was very quickly appalled by the prospects of such a project. The very idea of humanity seeking to create life by our own hands goes against the nature of creation. There may be benefits to such a discovery, this I know, but what good scientist would stop at the good aspects of a discovery without exploring what might happen if....? Scientists are seeking to uncover the deepest secrets of our selves and our world, trying to see what we can do, so frantically that I doubt if even one person has paused long enough to really ask themselves seriously whether or not we should.

In her novel, Frankenstein, also called The Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelley deals with taking science too far, the limitations of exploration and discovery. The Post-Modern Prometheus is not a creature created using electric pulses and random acts of hideous science as was Victor Frankenstein's creation. The post-modern Prometheus will, I believe, be the result of cloning. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein written in the early 1800's, we learn about the complexity of human life and the dreadful circumstances that could occur if human kind should attempt to take on the role of God. Humanity should never attempt to 'play' God with any expectation but that of chaos. We were not meant to be the creators of life.

In today's world in which cloning and bio-genetics are becoming more and more advanced, the feverish pace at which scientists are seeking to unlock the secrets of the universe, to map out the human gene, is terrifying. What is it that fuels our innate curiosity to discover secrets to the universe? Can we not accept that there are certain secrets that are not meant to be known? Human kind is headed in a direction which can lead to nothing but ruin. Mary Shelley illustrates the incredibly negative effects of blindly walking the path of discovery. It is in human nature to explore our world and seek answers to the bigger questions in life but we must know that eventually we must stop looking and accept certain things as simply beyond our comprehension. Frankenstein, like many scientists today, did not know when to stop.

Frankenstein was so consumed by his desire to create a life that he did not even begin to think about what the consequences might be. He never once considered what could happen when the life was fully created and awakened. Instead of being overjoyed with his creation, as is the case in the birth of a child (made by God), Frankenstein was disgusted by his creation (made by a man) and even afraid of it!

The fear and abhorrence Frankenstein had toward his own creation is due cause for the today's society to be concerned. Progress is not always beneficial. The possible outcomes of the currently underway Human Genome project (a privately funded project working to create a complete map of the human genome) is just as frightening as the Frankenstein creation, if not even more frightening. The project is designed with the hope of finding ways to better understand human life and improve its quality. Mary Shelley's novel warns us that the consequences of tampering with the forces of life can be brutal.

With the dawn of the 21st century, many glorious prospects await in the scientific fields. Perhaps we will journey to a new planet and find extraterrestrial life. Perhaps we will find a cure for cancer, or AIDS. The possibilities are as endless as the Universe itself. We must remember however, as the story of Frankenstein shows, that the act of creating a life is, and should remain, in the hands of God. Science can take us too far. We must remember Frankenstein's reaction to the result of his tireless research: Horror and Disgust.

An attempt on our behalf to create and test the waters of creation will lead only to destruction. Some believe that the ability to fully comprehend the human genome will help to eliminate disease and suffering, but the problem with that theory is that the information is only helpful if it remains in the right hands. If, as will most likely be the case, the information falls into the wrong hands the outcome would be unthinkable. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein gives a haunting and memorable account of the possible outcomes associated with human kind's obsession with reaching a god-like status. The outcome, implies Shelley, cannot lead to anything but chaos. Humanity was simply not meant to harness the power that is involved in creating life. However, with the dawn of the 21st century tinting our windows and our eyes, I cannot help but fear the worst. Humanity will continue to seek out the unsought and unfound. But at what cost?

Kimberley May Maurice is a native of British Columbia and is currently studying Communications at Trinity Western University. She is an aspiring poet and writer with a desire to make people think.