Are Transgenic Organisms Unnatural?

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ethics and the environment 2004-01, Vol.9 (1), p.46-55
Main Authors: Cooley, D. R., Goreham, G. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural biotechnology
Bioethics
Consortia
Discourse ethics
DNA
Ethical aspects
Ethical behavior
Ethics
Evaluation
Evil
Genetic engineering
Genetically modified organisms
Humans
Legal objections
Morality
Natural law
Nature
Supernaturalism
Transgenic plants
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Summary: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.
ISSN:1085-6633
1535-5306
1535-5306
DOI:10.1353/een.2004.0005