Ethics & the Environment · 2004 · 14 citations · 2 references
EngineeringTransgenic Mouse ModelsGeneticsAgricultural EconomicsScience EthicResearch EthicsGenetically Modified CropsEthic Of TechnologyTransgenic TechnologyGenetic TechnologyBioethicsGene TransferXenotransplantationDefective ArgumentAgricultural BiotechnologyTransgenic OrganismsBioprospectingBiologyUnnatural ThingsSynthetic BiologyGenetic EngineeringMedicineGenetically Modified OrganismGenome Editing
The introduction of transgenic organisms into agriculture has raised a firestorm of controversy. Many view the technology as a pathway to a much better future society, whereas others condemn it for endangering people and the environment. One defective argument against transgenics is the Unnatural Is Unethical argument (UIU). UIU attempts to prove if transgenic organisms are unnatural and all unnatural things are morally bad, then transgenics are morally bad. However, the argument fails once it is shown that there is no plausible definition for unnatural. Therefore, UIU should be abandoned in favor of arguments more likely to succeed.
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