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Individuality and integrity of humans in the modern age: Considerations of a natural scientist
Werner Schempp
Affiliation: Institute of Human Genetics, Albert-Ludwigs University, Freiburg, Germany
Keywords: Individuality, germ cells, embryogenesis, in vitro fertilization, epigenetics, arts and science
Categories: Life Sciences
DOI: 10.17160/josha.4.2.284
Languages: German
We owe the unexpected and rapid progress in medical research and therapeutic methods to the far-reaching scientific knowledge of the past decades. Nowadays, the Internet makes information available worldwide within seconds, and, through social media, creates a "reality" that can hardly be verified. On the one hand, this development makes the modern people in the high-tech regions of our world striving, more than ever, for individuality and self-realization. On the other hand, these technical possibilities, such as interventions in reproductive medicine, organ transplantation, advances in cloning techniques, or the development of artificial intelligence, favor a "de-individualization" of the human being. Art can be a mediator for overcoming this completely polar development in today's science. [Article in German] Acknowledgments: I thank Drs. Birgitta Gläser, Ingvo Broich, Michael Leipoldt, and Michael Wolf for critically reading and suggesting improvements to this article.