In yesterday’s post I postulated that an evolutionary change was needed if humankind was to achieve a simple state where we could all be friends.

I received feedback that was neither feasible nor, even if achievable, practical.

Consider Artificial Intelligence

Sci-fi author Issac Asimov proposed the three laws of robotics:

 

• A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
• A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
• A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws

What if we were able to manipulate the human genome such that these principles could be genetically coded (similar to the way we would program them in a robot) and thus they would become universally adopted by all humans.  In essence, the basic genetic coding of the human race would eliminate man’s violence against man.

Being programmed into our genetic make-up would mean managing your violent behavior would not need to be learned.   Rather than training everyone in one of the key tenants of civilization, it would be built in.  And we all live happily ever after – focus on the ALL.

What about…….?

Does this make the controller/programmer of the human genome a God.  That is the all powerful power that guides human behavior.  By engineering our own genetic make-up are we treading where only God is supposed to play.

To quote the News of World newspaper headline of a couple of weeks ago, following the latest mass killing in the U.S.,  “God won’t fix this”

Arguably engineering the human genome is not godlike but rather an exercise of intelligence and common sense.  I recognize this is a very controversial position though and I am not promoting it but rather exposing the thought here for dialogue purposes.

And if we control free will, that is to say by removing the ability to decide to be violent against your fellow man, are we not in some way limiting human capability by restricting the freedom to act in any way.

Philosophically speaking….

This is an interesting topic, personally I am not sure there is a right answer; however, I am pretty convinced man’s violence against man is wrong.