Abstract

FRANCESE, Christian Federico  and  FOLGUERA, Guillermo. Simplified knowledge, technoscience and risk omission: The case of genetically modified organisms. Runa [online]. 2018, vol.39, n.2, pp.5-27. ISSN 1851-9628.

Technoscience has been associated with significant risks to the environment and human health. In turn, these risks have been attributed to a scientific ignorance about the damages that can be generated by technoscience. In this paper we argue that, instead of being associated with a non-knowledge, another source of risks can come from a simplification of complex elements of scientific knowledge. Thus, considering the case of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for agricultural use, our analysis compares conceptualizations of biotechnology with the knowledge of molecular disciplinary genetics. For this purpose, specialized bibliography of both areas of knowledge is examined. Our results show that the knowledge associated with GMOs presents a linear and deterministic vision compared to the complexity present in contemporary molecular genetics. Unforeseen complexity may be associated with damage to the environment and populations.

Keywords : Technoscience; Risks Genetically modified organisms; Biotechnology; Epistemic simplification.

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