PA388K: Cloning to CRISPR: The Politics and Ethics of Technology Governance
Instructor: Dr. Jay Sankaran
(Friday 2-5, Room 314)
Course Description
The “Cloning to CRISPR” course is designed to enhance students’ understanding of the ethical and political challenges involved in the governance of disruptive emerging technologies. The course employs a historical approach, studying past attempts at the governance of biological technologies and drawing lessons for contemporary challenges.
In recent years, the rapid evolution and adoption of new technologies have sparked a broad debate on the societal ramifications of these developments. In these debates, the analysis of emerging disruptive technologies tends to oscillate between prospective promises of revolutionary gains and the risks of upending global norms and social order. Furthermore, often, there is no scientific consensus on the social consequences of adapting these technologies. The risks involved in improper use are substantial. Additionally, partisan preferences, bureaucratic priorities, and lobbying by other interested groups intercede in the decision-making process intended to manage these technologies and their impact on public welfare.
As we face contemporary challenges in legislating and regulating newer biological technologies, the problems appear unprecedented. But, over the last several decades, similar conversations have occurred in the context of other socially disruptive technologies. In the course, we will focus on four such technologies:
- Cloning
- Human Genome Project
- Genetic Engineering
- Synthetic Biology
In the course, we will engage in a systematic comparative analysis of how the promise and perils of these biological technologies were socially constructed in the United States. We will study American attempts at policymaking and regulation to manage these technologies in the presence of several scientific and ethical uncertainties. We will also explore the politics and policymaking processes in other technologically advanced countries.
At the end of the course, students are expected to emerge with the ability to apply a theoretically robust framework to modern policy challenges in the governance of emerging new technologies. Students are expected to have a curiosity in the policymaking process and a willingness to operate across academic disciplines. However, students are not required to have training in science or engineering.