Synthetic Biology as Late-Modern Technology

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to contribute to a prospective science and technology assessment (ProTA) of synthetic biology in order to enable an early societal shaping of this emerging wave of technoscience. To accomplish this goal, a philosophical approach towards the technoscientific core of synthetic biology-provided by philosophy of science and philosophy of technology-will be taken. The thesis is that if there is any differentia specifica giving substance to the umbrella term "synthetic biology", it is the idea(l) of harnessing self-organization for engineering purposes. To underline that we are likely experiencing an epochal break in the ontology of technoscientific systems, this new type of technology is called "late-modern technology." I start by analyzing the three most common paradigms and visions of synthetic biology (Sect. 2). Then I argue that one particular paradigm deserves more attention because it underlies the others: the paradigm of self-organization (Sect. 3). However, synthetic biology does not stand alone in making use of self-organization; it is a governing vision in robotics, ubiquitous computing, nano-and neuro-technologies (Sect. 4). Further, I show that instabilities constitute the conditions and, hence, the technoscientific core of selforganization (Sect. 5). Given the relevance of instabilities, I consider the inherent limits of late-modern (self-organization) technology in construction/design and control/monitoring, and in particular I elaborate why it is so difficult to control biosynthetic systems (Sect. 6). I end by drawing conclusions for the early-stage approach of ProTA and sum up the characteristics of late-modern technology as a challenging subject area of philosophy of technology (Sects. 7 and 8).

The view of synthetic biology in the field of ethics: a thematic systematic review

“…For example, Jonas recognized the convergence of biology and engineering before synthetic biology was fully established and made important predictions about the boundaries and future of the field. The ethics of responsibility is a fundamental concept for Jonas and has been crucial in shaping several discussions and concepts in the field ( Schmidt, 2015 ).…”

“…Synthetic biology is a cutting-edge technology that differs from other technologies in certain respects and has unique characteristics. This meaning inevitably involves concerns about unknowability and anticipation (Schmidt, 2015). The notion of social and ethical responsibility comes to the fore in synthetic biology, which is both a new field with the potential for continuous transformation and a field of fundamental science and practice (Giese et al, 2015).…”