Machine metaphors and ethics in synthetic biology

The extent to which machine metaphors are used in synthetic biology is striking. These metaphors contain a specific perspective on organisms as well as on scientific and technological progress. Expressions such as “genetically engineered machine”, “genetic circuit”, and “platform organism”, taken fr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Life sciences, society and policy society and policy, 2018-06, Vol.14 (1), p.12-13, Article 12
Main Author: Boldt, Joachim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biology
Electronic engineering
Engineering Ethics
Environmental changes
Ethics
Ethics, Research
Genetic engineering
Humans
Information technology
Metaphor
Philosophy of Science
policy and responsible research
Risk assessment
Robotics
Science and Technology Studies
Social Sciences
Synthetic biology
Synthetic Biology - ethics
Synthetic biology: How the use of metaphors impacts on science
Terminology as Topic
Theory of Medicine/Bioethics
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Summary:The extent to which machine metaphors are used in synthetic biology is striking. These metaphors contain a specific perspective on organisms as well as on scientific and technological progress. Expressions such as “genetically engineered machine”, “genetic circuit”, and “platform organism”, taken from the realms of electronic engineering, car manufacturing, and information technology, highlight specific aspects of the functioning of living beings while at the same time hiding others, such as evolutionary change and interdependencies in ecosystems. Since these latter aspects are relevant for, for example, risk evaluation of uncontained uses of synthetic organisms, it is ethically imperative to resist the thrust of machine metaphors in this respect. In addition, from the perspective of the machine metaphor viewing an entity as a moral agent or patient becomes dubious. If one were to regard living beings, including humans, as machines, it becomes difficult to justify ascriptions of moral status. Finally, the machine metaphor reinforces beliefs in the potential of synthetic biology to play a decisive role in solving societal problems, and downplays the role of alternative technological, and social and political measures.
ISSN:2195-7819
2195-7819
DOI:10.1186/s40504-018-0077-y