Modern biology is now expanding its influence beyond “treatment” into the realm of “prevention.” As data becomes more vast and precise, we believe we can predict future diseases that have not yet manifested and block them in advance. However, a fundamental question arises: if it is an undeniable fact that we “cannot know everything” about the mechanisms of life, to what extent do we have the right to intervene in the future?
Realized Outcomes and Delayed Accountability
Legal or moral responsibility usually arises when a result is realized—much like how one is punished for causing actual injury to another. However, biological preemptive measures possess a strange “asymmetry of accountability.” The consequences of a decision I make today—for instance, correcting a genetic trait or blocking a specific biological pathway—may not appear for ten years, or even until the next generation.
The problem is that by the time the results are realized, the “agent” who decided on the measure will likely be gone. If future generations must bear the full cost of a decision made in a state of incomplete knowledge, then the blade of “prevention” we wield today is closer to an irresponsible gamble.
The Boundary of Prevention: Between Certainty and Probability
No matter how comprehensive biological data may be, it always speaks in the language of “probability.” Saying “a person with this gene has an 80% chance of falling ill” paradoxically means “there is a 20% chance nothing will go wrong.”
If I bet on that 80% probability and take preemptive action, I have effectively annihilated the 20% possibility that would have never caused an issue. Preemptive measures lacking the humility of admitting we “cannot know everything” deny the reality of biological diversity and variables, hiding instead behind statistical figures. This is why I believe that preemptive measures in modern biology must have a “boundary line.”
Where Should We Stop?
Does this mean we should do nothing? That, of course, is an impossible choice. However, I believe the minimum line we must maintain lies in “Reversibility.”
If we acknowledge the possibility of error, the measures we take should be things that can be undone at any time. Genetic interventions that, once modified, are permanently passed down, or wholesale blockages that ignore the complexity of the ecosystem, exceed the scope of responsibility we can handle.
A Science of Question Marks, Not Periods
I hope that science recovers a sense of prudence—approaching with the mindset of “there are still parts we do not know” rather than the conviction of “we know it all now, so we will act in advance.” As the volume of biological data increases, what we should face is not technological pride, but a sense of awe toward the depth of life.
True prevention is not just about eliminating risks that might occur; it is about leaving a “margin” for when we are wrong. At the end of the arrogance that seeks to design an unaccountable future, will the outcome we face truly be the “perfection” we intended?
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