Modifying Aggression out of Humans

It can theoretically be done...now that we've cracked the riddle of the genome. It would come at a cost however, "drive" instinct, in other words survival instinct, would be blunted to one degree or other. So, in order for the species to continue, aggression modification could not be done to governing classes.

But is it actually true that this sort of modification can be done at all? The genome is, after all, incredibly more complex than is understood at this point. We do well to remember it is a "machine" we didn't invent. 

And is the word machine even applicable to biology?

Imagine now how intelligent "biology" has to be to "invent" biological structure to begin with, being, as it is, incredibly rare in the known universe. Human hubris, the hubris that may eventually destroy us all, is essentially (unconsciously and mythologically) the presupposition that we can invent, or at least modify, biology because we have invented wonderous things.

But those things are all mechanical. Technological. And now we have hubristically coined the term "biotech", as if we can begin to successfully invent biology itself.

We humans have great imaginative capacity, beginning in our early days, with mythology, and tool making. Mythology is by definition a fiction, and toolmaking is the beginning of science and technology, which is not a fiction.

We have also created a literary genre called science fiction. In our imaginations we blur these two opposites together as if they were one, in an illustration of the continuing power of mythology to capture our imagination. Mythology is an important part of our survival instinct called "hope", and it would not be there to begin with if it was not an important part of survival. Hope drives us forward.

Ideally, however, we would develop the capacity to see and understand our hubristic tendencies, and use that perspective to understand the division between fiction and fact a bit more clearly, in real time, before we do something so stupid as to cause our collective self-immolation.

We do not have to give up hope in order to do that, in fact it would be impossible, and very likely will remain impossible, regardless of whatever the hubrist genetic fiddlers want to believe.

What we want to achieve is a tempering of "hope" in a purposeful recognition of our tendencies to not only create mythologicals, but believe in them wholeheartedly. Let's continue to believe in them, but more cautiously.

Is there a God who created the unimaginably intelligent biology that is earth? "Science" more or less refuses to believe this. But many of the greatest scientists through history were also mystics, perhaps occurring concurrently with their genius, and many of these were in full recognition of that mystic "knowledge", and grateful for that understanding.

Einstein is thought to have said several things along these lines. One example:

"We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive".

Human females are genetically designed to birth and nurture new humans, and continue the species, and males are genetically designed to fight for survival, and if necessary, wage war. And the biggest males are considerably larger and stronger than the largest females. So obviously we are "hardwired" for radically different functions, and between these two functions the tribe survives.

Einstein is also thought to have said:

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

Which implies humanity will need to get it's act together if we are to survive as a technological species. 

Is it even possible? Who knows...the extremely rapid ascent of advanced technology is dizzying...about 200-250 years compared to the appearance of homo sapiens on Earth, about 150,000 years ago. In the context of this very rapid ascent can we even see where we are?

Many humans actually think our survival depends on escape to another planet. If that were even possible (it isn't) it would most certainly knock the hubris right out of us. Meanwhile technology has blinded many of us to the continuing miracle that is Earth.

If we humans do continue it will very likely include developing the capacity to see and understand our hubristic tendencies, and using that perspective to understand the division between fact and fiction a bit more clearly.