Abstract
The main belief systems that express themselves over GMOs are summarized. The existence of these different modes of thought (termed modernism, postmodernism, environmentalism and religious views) partially explains the reason why it has not been possible to overcome the public controversy despite the accumulation of scientific data. In addition, the divergent views on GMOs often reflect more general value judgments on the free market economy and on the integration of agriculture and food production in a globalized economy. In this context, it has proven difficult for most people to distinguish genuine scientific controversies from political ones.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Barnes B, Bloor D, Henry J (1996) Scientific knowledge: a sociological analysis. University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Bellon MR, Berthaud J (2004) Transgenic maize and the evolution of landrace diversity in Mexico. The importance of farmers’ behavior. Plant Physiol 134:883–888
Glenna LL, Jussaume RA Jr (2010) Social equity and the genetically engineered crops controversy. Choices 2nd Quarter 25(2)
GMO Compass (2010) Vatican scientists see “moral imperative” in GMO. http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/news/547.docu.html
Jonas H (1984) The imperative of responsibility: In search of ethics for the technological age (trans: Das Prinzip Verantwortung). University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Kuntz M (2012a) The postmodern assault on science. If all truths are equal, who cares what science has to say? EMBO Rep 13:885–889
Kuntz M (2012b) Destruction of public and governmental experiments of GMO in Europe. GM Crops Food 3:1–7
Minorsky PV (2001) The monarch butterfly controversy. Plant Physiol 127: 709–710. http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/127/3/709.full
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kuntz, M. (2014). Is It Possible to Overcome the GMO Controversy? Some Elements for a Philosophical Perspective. In: Ricroch, A., Chopra, S., Fleischer, S. (eds) Plant Biotechnology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06892-3_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06892-3_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-06891-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-06892-3
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)