ABSTRACT
Throughout this study, the social dimension of the issues raised by genetic engineering has been a recurring theme. It has proved very important to appreciate the different social constructions of the questions, and the societal situations of the different players involved, in order to gain a proper understanding of the moral debates themselves. It has also emerged that there are serious shortcomings in the level of societal involvement in the decision-making being done on the society’s behalf. While genetic engineering has many novel features by virtue of the innovating character of the science, it represents a striking contemporary example of the interplay between science, technology and the structure of industrial societies. This chapter explores those interactions and finds that they throw valuable light on the issues under discussion.
