Guiding Questions

• Is biotechnology a form of power, or just another tool?

• Can science itself be neutral — and only its use judged by justice?

• Who decides how far we go in reshaping life?

The Promise and Peril of Biology

Biotechnology is one of humanity’s most powerful forms of scientific exploration. From gene editing to synthetic biology, humans now have the ability to modify life at its most fundamental levels.

But science itself does not tell us what is just.

That question is philosophical — and political.

The same technology that can:

• Cure genetic diseases

• Help crops grow in harsh climates

• Extend healthy lifespan

can also be used to:

• Design inequalities

• Control reproduction for profit

• Limit access based on wealth or geography

The issue is not biotech itself — but the values guiding its use.

A Tool Is Not a Master

Biotechnology, like language, space travel, or artificial intelligence, is neither good nor evil. It reflects the intentions of those who wield it.

• Gene therapies can heal — or become luxury goods

• Modified crops can solve hunger — or become tools of corporate monopoly

• Enhancement technologies may help some — or divide humanity into “upgraded” and “natural”

The central question:

Can science serve justice — without being used as a mask for power?

Philosophical Reflections

Aristotle

Distinguished between means and ends. Biotech is a means. Justice depends on our ends.

Hans Jonas

Warned that new powers require new ethics. The future cannot speak — so we must act with humility.

Peter Singer

Urged expanding our moral concern — not just to humans, but to all life affected by our actions.

You, the Student

What do you believe is the right use of this power?

A Thought Experiment

You are a scientist. You discover a way to double crop yields using gene editing. But only large corporations can afford the process — and small farmers may be left behind.

Do you publish your work — or withhold it?

Can you demand fair access — or is that someone else’s job?

Who is responsible: the inventor, the investor, or the society?

Principles for Justice in Biotech

• Science for All – Ensure discoveries serve humanity, not only the wealthy

• Ethics Before Application – Use caution when lives are at stake

• No Patents on Life – Prevent monopolies on nature

• Peaceful Purpose Only – Ban military or coercive use of biology

• Education and Transparency – Citizens deserve to understand and shape decisions

Reflect and Discuss

• Should there be moral limits to how humans alter life?

• Is it unjust to not use science when lives could be saved?

• What’s more dangerous: too much scientific power — or not enough?

Suggested Readings

• Hans Jonas – The Imperative of Responsibility

• Peter Singer – Practical Ethics

• Nicanor Perlas – Shaping Globalization: Civil Society, Cultural Power and Threefolding

• UNESCO – Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights

• *International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture