Title

Facing Up To Complexity: Implications For Our Social Experiments

Keywords

Complexity theory; Genetically modified organisms (GMOs); Ibo van de Poel; Insertional mutagenesis; John Searle; Ontological subjectivity; Precautionary principle; Prion disease (BSE, vCJD); Reductionism; Social cage; Social construction; Social experiment; Substantially equivalent; Whistleblowing

Abstract

Biological systems are highly complex, and for this reason there is a considerable degree of uncertainty as to the consequences of making significant interventions into their workings. Since a number of new technologies are already impinging on living systems, including our bodies, many of us have become participants in large-scale “social experiments”. I will discuss biological complexity and its relevance to the technologies that brought us BSE/vCJD and the controversy over GM foods. Then I will consider some of the complexities of our social dynamics, and argue for making a shift from using the precautionary principle to employing the approach of evaluating the introduction of new technologies by conceiving of them as social experiments.

Publication Date

6-1-2016

Publication Title

Science and Engineering Ethics

Volume

22

Issue

3

Number of Pages

775-814

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-015-9657-x

Socpus ID

84930802530 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84930802530

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