Gene testing is getting more popular and soon you might be able to get it everywhere. But how about the interpretation of the test’s results? And is knowledge of your sickness predispositions really useful?

It is well known to me, by watching over the content of TV programme and newspapers, how much the vast majority seems to be drawn to morbidities and moral defeatism. Gene determines, or fatalism is just another excuse for the pathetic part of ourselves to diminish our own maturity and independence. And on this self-treacherous tendencies and fears those who sell their genetic tests and medical remedies can proliferate.

Suppose you are told to have a higher risk of cancer. Will you burden your life with this thought? Are you going to constrain yourself and deprive from some things because you are afraid to get cancer? Are you going to develop some other illnesses as a consequence of avoiding this one?

Suppose you are told that you don’t seem to have a genetic predisposition for cancer. Are you going to care less about your health and then accidentally develop cancer?

One also has to look into the influence of our moral character on our health. If one has a strong will and a positive character will one not overcome some of his genetic weaknesses? The role of the psychological strength cannot be ignored, for we know that the most of diseases are psychosomatic.

We should keep in mind that our psyche is not just dependent on our genetic makeup but on external factors too. That is why the environment is also a part of the equation. One’s family, school, upbringing, community and workplace can play a crucial influence on one’s behaviour and well-being. And then the importance of diet is well known to everybody. There are many variables which should not be excluded when we try to predict the future of our health.

The likely tendencies of health insurance companies to use genetic tests for the purposes of deciding how much insurance premiums one should get could lead to genetic discrimination and creation of a genetic underclass, which goes directly against the principles of a moral and just society.

There are potentially many ways of abuse and manipulation through the means of genetic testing by businesses. At the moment the link between genes and diseases are not even firmly established; scientific researchers still are trying to figure out what can we predict on the bases of genetic makeup. Yet genetic testing is already being described by some as ‘profitable’ venture.

So how should one respond to the genetic predispositions? I think that this question is not just medical but also moral and philosophical. It is to do with why are we here on the first place. Maybe more than to live long is important to live right, to live with a creative purpose and ethically. Of course that one should try to live a long life, but plain survival might not be a sufficient purpose for the fulfilling existence of human being.


Discuss this topic on wordless.com on-line forum