Original scientific paper
ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIO– ETHICAL CHALLENGES OF GENETIC TECHNOLOGY
Andrej Kirn
; Faculty of Social Sciences, Ljubljana
Abstract
As knowledge plays an important role in human moral behavior,so does ignorance. Knowledge is a relative, not an absolute value. Three basic relations are possible between scientific and technological possibilities and values: conflicting, adaptational and selfrestricting. A much greater social consent will be needed for (non)introduction of highly risky technologies. Biotechnology represents a new phase of standardization and manipulation of life according to human pragmatic criteria. The expansion of genetic technology announces a big historical experiment of humankind with itself and nature. The use of science thus becomes a big problem, as for the science itself, so for the society. The axiom that by means of science and technology a safer and better world can be achieved is questionable. The development of science and its use must, with the help of that same science which is connected to the public and democratic institutions, become more principled and selective, especially in fields connected to big risks for man and the whole nature.
Keywords
genetic technology; risk; risky technology; science; values
Hrčak ID:
141543
URI
Publication date:
15.9.1997.
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