Islamic Perspectives on the Genome and the Human Person: Why the Soul Matters

A preoccupation with knowledge of the self and nature can be traced throughout human history. From writings of the Ancients to modern scientific inquiries, we find a collocation of ideas that range from the macrocosmic nature of the universe to microcosmic subcellular structures. Recent genomic advances, however, have not only added to a key facet of mankind’s raison d’etre—seeking the truth about oneself and the world—it also offers a window into the repercussions of and consequences for manipulating matter on the nature of man, a nature that has hitherto been thought of as being immutable (Savulescu, ter Meulen, and Kahane 2011, XV). The myriad possibilities of genetically manipulating matter for human ends, raises critical questions about such endeavors and how they may influence our understanding of the human person (Savulescu, Ter Meulen, and Kahane 2011, XV). Central to the advances of mankind’s ability to understand and manipulate matter is the unlocking of the cellular nucleus and the discovery of DNA with the identification of genes that code for particular phenotypes. This initial discovery has been rapidly applied to subsequent technological breakthroughs in genetic intervention. The latter offers mediation at the sub-cellular level and has the potential to alter the genetic constitution of individuals thereby offering them personalized therapies and unprecedented enhancement. The genetics revolution is thus profound-