Niel Postman brought up and interesting argument in the first chapter of Amusing Ourselves to Death. He took a commonly used invention and analyzed it to bring up a point that I never thought of. He believed that the use of eye glasses introduced the beginning of man kind making alterations to human anatomy. Now I believe that the use of glasses is far different than the permanent alterations made by tattoos, piercings, or plastic surgery, but did the use of tools to make-up for our physical shortcomings put us on this path? Did such a simple invention set us down a road of genetic engineering and the donation of body parts?
I feel he stated this is a rather negative way, for it appeared as though he frowned upon humans using other devices to make up for their shortcomings, but hasn't this use of external tools proven to be quite advantageous? Consider the number of lives saved by organ and blood donations, and the improved quality of life through the use of glasses and hearing aids. Do you feel that the alteration of human appearance and genetics is potentially harmful or helpful to our society as a whole?
I feel that the alteration of human appearance and genetics is potentially helpful to our society as a whole because as we improve on ourselves then our technology improves which makes our society better. They improve our science so we could make even better changes to ourselves like a fake working heart or limbs to improve and maybe even save peoples' lives. If we didn’t do these alterations then there would be a lot more deaths then there are now. They also make more jobs and in an economy like ours a lot of people need jobs, so this can also improve our economy.
ReplyDeleteI agree and diagree with it,it is harmful but also helpful. Here is how its helpful, all this new external tool have helped human life beyond what we expected, now a days there are tools for everything and yes like you mention "lives saved by organ and blood donations, and the improved quality of life through the use of glasses and hearing aids",but here is were its harmful, all these Tools has made our society dependent on all of it. This instead of being helpful and making our health lets say better it has send us into a path of "we need it because.." we all use this excuse like you mention its a "make-up for our physical shortcomings"
ReplyDeleteAs a person with what one would consider a lot of "physical shortcomings", I would agree that using alterations to help heal someone or make up for biological difficulties is a necessity. I can't imagine life without my glasses or contact lenses, or running a mile without the use of my inhaler, or getting through a particularly painful headache without the use of pain medication. Without all of these devices, I would be absolutely miserable. And imagine how the use of organ and blood transplants affect the lives of people around the world! I find that there is nothing wrong with altering your anatomy to ease your suffering.
ReplyDeleteNow, when it comes to altering your physical appearance in order to "look better", I feel as if somehow society's quest for perfection has gone too far. For example, I know people who have gotten tattoos and piercings, and even nose jobs because of their fear of not fitting into society's idea of beauty.
I find certain aspects of altering ourselves rather beneficial. Glasses/contacts help one see better, blood transfusions can save someone, exercise helps one stay fit, and surgeons can remove ghastly scars to help one get a job requring good showmanship/presentation. However, when genetic engineering comes in beyond medical purposes, there are problems. Setting aside certain moral issues, the human body has information that, if altered, would create another problem and usually a faster genetic decay. Yet, it also gives the high-yielding corn crops. In our current efforts, we find great medical help, but another issue is formed. These advances have set us in the path of genetic engineering, and I feel it is a dangerous path to tread, borderlining between advancing and failing. Nature can't be tamed, no matter how much you lessen the effects. Just as a storm still rages even if your house is safe, genetic engineering can only go as far as creating the safehouse before it gets out of hand.
ReplyDeleteTattoos, piercings, and plastic surgery are all cosmetic alterations which don't really do anything to help our bodies. Glasses, hearing aids, and organ donations, on the other hand, allow us to have a better quality of life and often save our lives depending on the circumstances. So, with that said, I believe that any sort of body modification (or external tool) that improves on our bodily functions is a good thing. However, I'm not saying that cosmetic alterations are harmful to our society, but they are very unnecessary, and are typically used for aesthetic purposes.
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