The field of synthetic biology is rapidly expanding, attracting considerable attention not only for its scientific and technological achievements, but also for the moral questions it raises. Although a precise definition of what constitutes synthetic biology is still forthcoming, it generally encompasses efforts to develop or manipulate biological systems from an engineering framework to serve particular human interests. Currently, work in synthetic biology focuses on single-celled organisms, which typically fall under three general streams: developing a “minimal genome,” developing standardized and interchangeable genetic sequences that would be inserted into an organism’s genes, and developing protocells, which incorporates structures and mechanisms necessary for cellular function, in addition to genetic sequences. All three streams aim to produce organisms that could be altered to where they would behave in specific and intentional ways.
Unsurprisingly, these efforts have been met with a host of ethical and moral concerns. The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues even issued a report examining their ethical features in 2010. This collection of essays edited by Gregory E. Kaebnick and Thomas H. Murray further contribute to the ongoing discussion of synthetic biology’s moral and ethical features. Divided into three sections, this collection tackles the question of whether synthetic biology is morally troubling, attractive, or neutral, examining this feature as an intrinsic property of synthetic biology and setting aside issues related to how the technology may affect humans. The first section examines synthetic biology’s relationships to nature and the natural, drawing upon environmental ethics to frame discussions about altering nature, creating life, and adopting appropriate attitudes and approaches toward the phenomena of life. The second section examines whether the products of synthetic biology have inherent moral standing, that is, do they have inherent worth and value that grounds how they should be treated? And if so, what is it and what complications might it present? While synthetic biology currently works in the simplest of organisms, these questions will become increasingly pressing as advancements allow the field to move to more complex organisms. The third section examines how these moral concerns intrinsic to synthetic biology might be addressed and incorporated into policy and public discourse. These authors discuss how this discourse should frame synthetic biology when making public policy and how it may change how we view the environment, life, and ourselves.
The authors do not come to a consensus regarding the questions they consider, but present intriguing, if conflicting arguments, for their perspectives. They add important dimensions to the ongoing discussion of synthetic biology’s moral and ethical features. However, by presenting these additional dimensions, they give up breadth for depth, as the book is not a comprehensive overview of synthetic biology’s ethical questions, deliberately setting aside some of the more apparent questions. Additionally, many of the essays draw upon various philosophical frameworks, which may present some difficulties for the unfamiliar reader. While most discussions of the ethical questions related to synthetic biology usually revolve around dual use of the knowledge and technology produced and its regulation, biosecurity, and biosafety, these essays take a different tack by exploring the no less pressing questions of synthetic biology’s relationship to nature and what moral standing its products may have.