Emerging Conceptual, Ethical and Policy Issues in Bionanotechnology

263 Pages·2008·4.258 MB·English

by  Fabrice Jotterand (auth.), Fabrice Jotterand (eds.)

Emerging Conceptual, Ethical and Policy Issues
in Bionanotechnology
Philosophy and Medicine
VOLUME 101
Founding Co-Editor
Stuart F. Spicker
Senior Editor
H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr., Department of Philosophy, Rice University,
and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
Associate Editor
Lisa M. Rasmussen, Department of Philosophy, University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina
Editorial Board
George J. Agich, Department of Philosophy, Bowling Green State University,
Bowling Green, Ohio
Nicholas Capaldi, College of Business Administration, Loyola University,
New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana
Edmund Erde, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Stratford,
New Jersey
Christopher Tollefsen, Department of Philosophy, University of South Carolina,
Columbia, South Carolina
Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., President Loyola University, New Orleans,
New Orleans, Louisiana
For other titles published in this series , go to
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Fabrice Jotterand
Editor
Emerging Conceptual,
Ethical and Policy Issues
in Bionanotechnology
Editor
Fabrice Jotterand
University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, USA
ISBN 978-1-4020-8648-9 e-ISBN 978-1-4020-8649-6
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Contents
Introduction
Beyond Feasibility: Why Ethics Is Important
for Bionanotechnology ..................................................................................... 3
Fabrice Jotterand
Knowledge Production in Nanotechnoscience
The World View of Nanotechnology – Philosophical Refl ections ................ 13
Andreas Woyke
Nanomachine: Technological Concept or Metaphor? .................................. 27
Xavier Guchet and Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent
No Future for Nanotechnology?
Historical Development vs. Global Expansion .............................................. 43
Alfred Nordmann
Ethics and (Bio)Nanotechnology
Bionanotechnology: A New Challenge
for Ethical Refl ection? ..................................................................................... 67
Christoph Baumgartner
Nanoparticles: Risk Management
and the Precautionary Principle ..................................................................... 85
Armin Grunwald
Anticipating the Unknown: The Ethics of Nanotechnology ......................... 103
Joseph C. Pitt
v
vi Contents
Applications of Nanotechnology in the Biomedical Sciences:
Small Materials, Big Impacts, and Unknown Consequences ....................... 117
Audy G. Whitman, Phelps J. Lambert, Ossie F. Dyson,
and Shaw M. Akula
Public Policy and (Bio)Nanotechnology
Nanobiotechnology and Ethics:
Converging Civil Society Discourses .............................................................. 133
Alexandra Plows and Michael Reinsborough
Allotropes of Fieldwork in Nanotechnology .................................................. 157
Christopher Kelty
Law, Regulation and the Medical Use of Nanotechnology ........................... 181
Kenneth A. DeVille
Human Enhancement and (Bio)Nanotechnology
Stage Two Enhancements ................................................................................ 203
George Khushf
Nanotechnology, the Body and the Mind ....................................................... 219
M. Ellen Mitchell
Nanotechnology and Human Flourishing:
Toward a Framework for Assessing Radical
Human Enhancements..................................................................................... 239
Ronald Sandler
Author Index..................................................................................................... 255
Subject Index .................................................................................................... 261
Introduction
Beyond Feasibility: Why Ethics Is Important
for Bionanotechnology
Fabrice Jotterand
Since Richard Feynman imagined arranging atoms one by one in 1959 to current
research in nanoscience and (bio)nanotechnology, scientific progress continues to
feed societal expectations. Increasingly, we read about new scientific develop-
ments in (bio)nanotechnology that could bring solutions to vexing problems in
human existence. Radical extension of life expectancy, human-machine interface,
and nano-devices for targeted drug delivery represent only few examples of the
potential applications of nanotechnology. These emerging technologies have
t remendous applications and could enhance the quality of life of many people.
However, they also raise important social, ethical and legal/regulatory questions.
With the pressure to pursue scientific progress in order to find solutions to pressing
human problems, the dangers of unreflectively developing (bio)nanotechnology
lurks around the corner.
Clearly we cannot stop scientific and technological progress. It is part of human
nature to explore and conquer the infinitely big (space) and the infinitely small (nano-
world). This quest for knowledge, however, is not limited to the understanding of novel
properties of matter at the nanoscale. Ultimately the application of basic scientific
knowledge to practical problems is always connected to human ends and goals. Hence,
it is the exploitation of these novel phenomena at the nanoscale that requires a critical
inquiry beyond the “imperative of feasibility”. Without clearly enunciating the hidden
assumptions and the metaphysics of the (bio)nanotechnology project, we run the risk of
killing the project itself and missing the opportunity to harvest its potential benefits
(nanoscale biostructures [artificial bones, tissue engineering and cell therapy]; new types
of drugs, either based on the human genome or structural genomics or biomimetics; tar-
geted drug delivery; nanobots [sensors to monitor body parameters such as pulse, blood
pressure, etc.]; nanomaterials; various types of nano-devices [neuro-digital interfaces])
George Santayana warns us that “those who ignore history are destined to repeat
it”. Recent history from the GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) experiment
taught us that “feasibility” is not necessarily synonymous with commercial success
and public acceptance of new technologies. Despite the potential benefits of GMOs
(crops more resistant to diseases and climate; more productive farm animals; more
productive lands, production of vaccines and medicines, etc.) the public is concerned
University of Texas at Dallas, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
F. Jotterand (ed.) Emerging Conceptual, Ethical and Policy Issues in Bionanotechnology, 3
© Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2008
4 F. Jotterand
about GMOs, especially in the European context. The reasons are multiple. There is a
concern about the safety and the possible unintended consequences (toxicity,
Frankenfood, etc.) of genetically modified organisms once they are introduced in the
food chain. Another concern is about the environment, in which genetic mutation
could spread and would result in the tampering with nature (“Playing God” argument).
Finally there is the question of labelling (label indicating whether the product was
genetically modified), which is not required in some countries, including the United
States. However, some activists argue that consumers have the right to know the proc-
ess of fabrication and the ingredients of the products they buy. In addition, they con-
tend that the public should be more involved in debates concerning the development
of new products. This is not to say that the public has not been part of the discussion.
As Alexandra Plows and Michael Reinsborough remarks in their contribution to this
volume, “the necessity for better public engagement, are not new frames at all, but are
increasingly louder, and perhaps better heard….” However, they also point out that the
current emphasis is on the necessity for “upstream public engagement” which means
an early dialogue between the scientific community and relevant parties.
The lack of early public involvement has led to bad PR on the part of the scientific
community and created fear in the mind of many citizens. Ultimately, this situation
led to an economic and scientific failure (in the sense of the marketability of the
products of scientific development). In short, the lack of transparency on the part of
the scientific community and the failure to involve the public “upstream” produced
fear and mistrust. What seems imperative in order to avoid the same situation in rela-
tion to bionanotechnology is to put forward publicly a plan for a responsive develop-
ment of nanotechnology. As Mihail C. Roco and William Sims Bainbridge from the
National Science Foundation (NSF) point out, “proper attention to the ethical issues
and societal needs” can result in the beneficial outcomes for the industry, society and
human life. If well informed, the public and the politicians will be willing to finance
and support new technologies. Therefore, it seems essential to have an open debate
that includes scientists, politicians, the public, etc. early on with regards to the ethical,
legal and social implications of bionanotechnology so as to avoid past mistakes.
The Structure of the Volume
This volume provides a critical overview of the nature of nanotechnology (and its
applications in the biomedical sciences, i.e. bionanotechnology) and the philosophical
and ethico-legal issues it raises. This collection of 13 articles represents an explora-
tion by scholars from various disciplines (philosophy, anthropology, law, social
sciences, psychology, and natural sciences) in North America and Europe. The
book contains four major parts respectively entitled (1) Knowledge Production in
Nanotechnoscience; (2) Ethics and (Bio)Nanotechnology; (3) Public Policy and
(Bio)Nanotechnology; and (4) Human Enhancement and (Bio)Nanotechnology. In
the first section, authors examine the nature of nanotechnology as a scientific
project and critically reflect on its philosophical underpinnings. The next section