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Biomodifying the 'natural': from Adaptive Regulation to Adaptive Societal Governance.
Miranda Mourby1, Jessica Bell2, Michael Morrison1
1Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX), Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Journal of Law and the Biosciences
|July 7, 2022
Summary
Biomodifying technologies like gene editing challenge fundamental concepts of nature and products. An Adaptive Societal Governance approach, using a global observatory, can help navigate these complex societal and legal shifts.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology Law and Ethics
- Societal Impact of Emerging Technologies
- Bioethics and Regulation
Background:
- Biomodifying technologies (gene editing, induced pluripotent stem cells, bioprinting) have diverse applications, including medicine, agriculture, and food production.
- Existing regulatory frameworks and societal engagement strategies struggle with the novel ethical and legal questions posed by these rapidly advancing technologies.
- Key concepts like 'nature', 'product', and 'donation' are being redefined, impacting legal and ethical evaluations of biotechnologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze how biomodifying technologies challenge foundational legal and societal concepts.
- To propose a framework for 'Adaptive Societal Governance' to address the disruption caused by these technologies.
- To explore the need for evolving societal understanding of core concepts in response to biotechnological advancements.
Main Methods:
- Case study analysis of biomodifying technologies (gene editing, iPSCs, bioprinting).
- Examination of regulatory flexibility and global stakeholder engagement efforts.
- Conceptual analysis of foundational ideas ('nature', 'product', 'donation') within legal and societal contexts.
Main Results:
- Biomodifying technologies destabilize traditional legal categories by questioning fundamental concepts.
- Current regulatory and engagement approaches, while valuable, are insufficient to address the broader societal disruption.
- A need exists to explore evolving societal interpretations of core concepts across diverse cultural contexts.
Conclusions:
- Adaptive Societal Governance, utilizing a global observatory model, is proposed to manage the societal implications of biomodification.
- This approach facilitates multi-modal analysis of societal constructions of 'life' and related concepts.
- Proactive, socially responsive governance is crucial for navigating the ethical and legal complexities of future biotechnologies.
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