Science can define what is practicable, what can be done, but it cannot
determine which developments it is right to pursue- this is largely an ethical
judgment attempting to answer ‘ought we to do it’? The most sensible approach
to making an ethical assessment is to try and weigh up the benefits of a novel
technology against its potential to do harm. Deciding whether GM technology is
acceptable in ethical terms involves a judgment about both the plausibility and
moral weight of competing sets of claims, beginning with an assessment of the
possible benefits and risks.
Using four main guiding principles as the basis of my discussion and point of
evaluation, I focus firstly on the principle of general welfare to examine the
debate what would amount to an adequate safety assessment of GM foods and
its possible ecological risk. The right of consumers to freedom of choice is
addressed by exploring both the arguments against and for labelling. The
principle of justice then questions the claims whether food security can indeed be
improved by using GM technology and how patents, bioprospecting and
biopiracy can be judged ethically justifiable. Finally the ethical status of the
natural world is raised by attempting to answer whether modern biotechnology
could be considered blasphemous and whether it is ethically permissible to
breach the natural integrity of the species.
Using these guiding principles do not make such as assessment straightforward
as they cannot be rigidly applied in an abstract way to reflect absolutes on what
is right or wrong and their operation depends on context. My approach is
normative and presented in a way to stimulate dialogue as an explorative ethical
travel through the genetically modified zone with the recognition that the debate
remains inconclusive and controversial.
Keywords: GM; Genetically Modified Foods; GM Technology; Transgenic.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/10766 |
| Date | 10 November 2011 |
| Creators | Early, Janet |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf, application/pdf |
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