ABSTRACT
As a cultural icon, narrative in the public domain provides a means by which members of society can take part in the development of meaning about technology. There are myriad forces at work inside the development of nanotechnology. One of those forces is the competition to shape the course of human events. Narrative regarding nanotechnology functions as part of the process any technological development entails, to construct
an agreed on ethics for its evolution and development. It can also function to illuminate the values, intentions, and belief systems, which are implicit in the nanotechnology initiatives, and varied social responses to them. Language-based stories, (narratives) which are part of the public discourse, reveal the myriad notions of who we believe ourselves to be, what we believe in, and how we wish to live in relationship to one another and to the nanotechnologies being developed. Unfortunately, “in the interest of securing a rational foundation for morality, contemporary ethical theory has ignored or rejected the significance of narrative for ethical reflection,” which according to Hauerwas and Burrell (1989, p. 158), has resulted in a distorted account of moral experience.
