Can Science Make Sense of Life?

by Sheila Jasanoff

Since the discovery of the structure of DNA heralded the birth of the genetic age, an entire vocabulary has emerged to express our growing command over the matter of life, from decoding and sequencing to manipulating and editing. Biology and biotechnology, scientists proclaim, are poised to rewrite the book of life.
Yet, how far can science go in making sense of what "life" means to human beings and societies? This book looks at flash points in law, politics, ethics, and culture - artificial reproduction, stem cell research, gene drives, the creation of synthetic organoids - to argue that the claims of rewriting life are overblown. Science may have editorial authority over one of the books of life, but not over the entire library that defines the values that have held us together through human the meanings of autonomy, integrity, and privacy; the bonds of kinship and family; and the place of humans in nature.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Science

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 5, 2019

About the author

Sheila Jasanoff is an Indian American academic and significant contributor to the field of Science and Technology Studies. She is Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies at the Harvard Kennedy School. A pioneer in her field, she has authored more than 130 articles and chapters and is author or editor of more than 15 books, including The Fifth Branch, Science at the Bar, Designs on Nature, The Ethics of Invention, and Can Science Make Sense of Life? Her work explores the role of science and technology in the law, politics, and policy of modern democracies. She founded and directs the STS Program at Harvard; previously, she was founding chair of the STS Department at Cornell. She holds AB, JD, and PhD degrees from Harvard, and honorary doctorates from the Universities of Twente and Liège.

Reviews

[Yoana Misirkova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting subject matter and a lot of questions about the intersections of science, ethics, and society that I hadn't given much thought to before!