Original scientific paper
GENETIC ENGINEERING AND NEW SPIRITUALITY. THE MEANING OF LIFE AND DEATH IN THE POSTHUMAN CONTEXT
Krunoslav Nikodem
Abstract
The paper is based on the results of empiric research on diferent aspects of bioethics that has been carried out during the April and July of 2005, on the occassional sample of university student respondents at the University of Zagreb (N=492). Within the project 'Modernisation and Identity of the Croatian Society' (0130400), this research has been carried out using the method of an opinion pol (group opinion pol) on the population of university students of the first and the fourth year of study, at five faculties (Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Mechamnical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Catholic Theological Faculty, Faculty of Science and Medicine School). In this paper the author analyses the relations of some aspects of genetic engineering, new spirituality and the questions about the meaning of life and death, in other words opinions and orientations of university student population toward these issues. The analysed dimensions are not integral and completely self-contained conceptualy, but rather partial. Therefore, the conclusions are not final, but represent rather kind of orientations for further research of these issues present in the Croatian society. The fundamental hypothesis of the paper is that respondents that are closer to 'new spirituality' and finding out the meaning of life 'in individuality' are more inclined to the use of genetic engineering, while those closer to 'Christian belief' and finding out the meaning of life 'in God' are less inclined to the use of genetic enginering. The results obtained partialy confirm the proposed hypothesis.
Keywords
genetic engineering; new spirituality; the meaning of life and death; posthuman; biotechnology; bioscience
Hrčak ID:
9101
URI
Publication date:
28.9.2005.
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