Blog Post 4
by hmajoros
The human race is obsessed with life, whether it be creating new lives or trying to save current ones. Research in the areas of cloning and stem cells have changed the ways we can save lives, but there is an ethical dilemma that comes along with this new technology. Bioterrorism, Embryonic Stem Cells, and Frankenstein by Patrick Guinan discusses the current state of affairs in human life with the advancement of technology, and how this compares to the story of Frankenstein. In this article, Guinan eludes to the fact that there are limits on human knowledge and advancement, but more than often these bounds are overstepped. Human tendencies lead us to take the forbidden fruit, as in the story of Adam and Eve, and Guinan believes that works such as Frankenstein should serve as a cautionary tale to humans. Despite our best intentions, technology and the desire for humans to make advances in society will eventually lead to a dystopian future if limits are not put onto technology.
An example given by Guinan to accurately portray an incredible invention turning into a disaster is the case of September 11th. Prior to this incident, airplanes had been one of mankind’s most remarkable inventions, but in the hands of the wrong people, this miraculous man made machine quickly became a tool used by terrorists. Frankenstein can be viewed in a similar manner; most people believed that the ability to create life from nothing would be an extraordinary feat, but Frankenstein’s monster ultimately turned out to be a killer. Guinan writes that, “Dr. Frankenstein is a paradigm for many literary figures who have usurped the quest for knowledge” (Guinan, p. 307). The quest for knowledge is present in the lives of many, but how many will go past the ethical and moral bounds set by society to continue on their quest? According to Guinan, most people will, even though warning signs exist. It is hard to set distinct limits on knowledge, but it is up to the humans themselves to learn from stories like Frankenstein and realize that the attainment of greater knowledge may someday be the downfall of the human race.
afterprometheus 
This is a very convincing portrayal of a major claim from an article: most people are excessive in their quest for knowledge. In a longer piece, I would love to hear a brief example of how most ordinary people do that. I would also like to see you develop the claim through examples in the text and perhaps consider whether there are limits to this argument. Does anyone in Frankenstein blames the inventor when things go wrong? Or is that just readers?