Gene therapy for genetic disorders and plastic surgery for disfigurement should obviously be free.

However, even in a socialist world, discrimination based on attractiveness (lookism/pretty privilege) and height (heightism) would still be genuine concerns, as they are due to base human instincts around health and strength. Research shows that people who are considered ‘unattractive’ or ‘short’ face genuine disadvantages in society.

How should this be dealt with? If plastic surgery and designer babies were made free as a possible solution, the state would certainly be overwhelmed with requests, so that can’t be a good option.

Also, how should plastic surgery and designer babies be handled in general? For instance, intelligence has a significant genetic component, and making genetic intelligence enhancement open to all would greatly benefit any nation with the resources to do so.

Edit: To those downvoting, I’m not trying to suggest that these are good solutions. These are simply the only solutions I could come up with if we do remain in a capitalist world. I want to hear suggestions for how we should solve the problems I mentioned in a socialist world without needing everyone to undergo invasive surgery.

  • Ronin_5@lemmygrad.ml
    14·
    1 year ago

    Lot to unravel here, so I won’t address everything.

    intelligence has a significant genetic component,

    Intelligence (as measured by iq tests) is not mostly dependent on genetics, but rather motivation. Motivation to succeed is decreased by discrimination, and ostracization. When the motivation factor is accounted for, natural intelligence (talent) is much less predictive.

    Edit: iq testing and academic performance is heavily influenced by motivation but more influenced by intelligence. Real world performance is more influenced by motivation than intelligence.

    Angela Duckworth did a lot of work on this, and I recommend giving her a read if you are interested in this.

    So, as an answer to your concern, we should seek to eliminate discrimination of differences, and seek to understand the struggles of the ones who are different rather than make everyone the same.

      • Ronin_5@lemmygrad.ml
        7·
        1 year ago

        How “actually intelligent” you are doesn’t matter, because you will come out ahead in life if you are motivated, have self control, and have grit. Non-intelligence traits account for 8% of career success compared to 1.6% accounted for by intelligence alone.

        https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.1018601108

        I also would love if intelligence depended solely on environmental factors that we could easily improve, but alas that is not the case.

        You fucking can. It’s called studying and it’s what everyone does.

        Someone with high grit and high intelligence can still be expected to perform better than someone with high grit and low intelligence, all else being equal.

        When it comes to the real world outside of academia, this is false. Intelligence doesn’t matter all that much.