-Your
Guide to the Cultural Impact of Emerging Technologies.
Eudoxa Policy Study #4: Let's Stand Up and Shout!
-Excerpts from As Arbitrary Gods
Let's Stand Up and Shout! is a translation of the fourth chapter of "As Arbitrary Gods". The book takes a comprehensive look at the Swedish discourse on gene- and biotechnology during the 1970-ties and 80-ties.
The study looks at four major cultural trends in the discourse that still exerts a strong influence on the current discourse. The first is the combination of a romantic, but materialistic view on the world: The truth about reality transcends the material world, so we can not have confidence in our ability to perceive the consequences of our actions. Those that control the development of technology control the future of our society.
The second trend is that the emotional connection between "dangerous foods" supercedes the lack of a causal connection.
The third trend is the resistance against "playing God" or "manipulation with life and the proper order of nature" as identified by the Eurobarometer in 1996.
The fourth trend is the "clash of cultures." Scientist communities
try to participate in the value driven public discource with their fact
driven arguments. This leads to a classic "talking past each other"
scenario which undermines the credibility of scientists in the public
eye and disenchants scientists and public alike.
Download
the PDF-file here >>
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- About Eudoxa
- Executive Summary
- Let's Stand Up and Shout!
- The Unholy Cow
- The Source of Resistance
- The Misunderstanding of the Professional Societies
- References