Artificial, All Too Natural: Synthetic Biology and Transhumanism in the Post-Genomic Era

인공적인, 너무나 자연적인: 포스트 게놈 시대 합성생물학과 트랜스휴머니즘

  • 우태민 (KAIST 과학기술정책대학원) ;
  • 박범순 (KAIST 과학기술정책대학원)
  • Received : 2016.11.28
  • Accepted : 2016.12.26
  • Published : 2016.12.30

Abstract

This paper compares and contrasts the concept of nature and the theory of evolution held by leading synthetic biologists and transhumanists in the post-genomic era. Synthetic biology, which emerged in the early 2000s, aims to design biological systems that perform specific functions with the two key concepts of "rational design" and "directed evolution". However, synthetic biology has also raised serious concerns about the creation of man-made biological materials and the manipulation of the direction and speed of evolution. It is no wonder that transhumanists, who dream of creating new, enhanced human species, have welcomed the arrival of synthetic biology. How, then, can we deal with the nature reinvented by synthetic biology? By what means can one justify research that may affect the process of evolution? What intellectual resources do synthetic biology and transhumanism share in common? What influence would the new trend of commercialization of science and technology exert upon the development of synthetic biology? Addressing those questions, this paper argues that the moral authority of nature can be restored in this post-genomic era.

이 논문은 포스트 게놈 시대에 합성생물학 연구자들과 트랜스휴머니스트들의 자연관과 진화개념을 비교분석하는 것을 목적으로 하고 있다. 2000년대 새롭게 등장한 합성생물학은 "합리적 설계"와 "방향적 진화"라는 두 가지 핵심적인 개념을 통해 생명 시스템을 디자인하는 것을 가능케 했다. 인간이 생명체를 설계해 만들어내고 진화과정을 가속화시킬 뿐만 아니라 특정 방향으로 유도한다는 점에서, 자연적인 것과 인공적인 것 사이의 경계가 무너지는 것 아닌가 하는 우려가 제기되었다. 이렇게 합성생물학으로 재구성된 자연을 어떻게 받아들여야 할 것인가? 진화의 속도와 방향에 영향을 주는 연구를 어떻게 정당화할 수 있는가? 합성생물학과 트랜스휴머니즘은 어떤 지적 자산을 공유하고 있나? 과학기술의 상업화와 같은 사회경제적 요소가 분야의 흐름에 영향을 주지는 않은지? 자연의 도덕적 권위는 사라졌는가? 본 논문은 합성생물학을 선도하고 있는 세 명의 과학자와 최근 대표적 트랜스휴머니스트로 떠오르고 있는 옥스퍼드 대학의 철학자들을 관점을 소개하고 비교분석하여 이 질문들에 답하려고 한다.

Keywords

References

  1. 김하성 (2015), 합성생물학의 최신 연구동향, BioInpro 14.
  2. 김혜진 (2016), '기업가'와 '순수과학자' 사이에서: 수사를 통해 본 크레이그 벤터의 경계 작업, 서울대학교 석사학위논문.
  3. 김호연 (2012), 새로운 유전학(New Genetics), 과거 우생학 (Eugenics)의 재현인가?, 인문과학연구 32, 193-218쪽.
  4. 김훈기 (2004), 유전자가 세상을 바꾼다 (파주: 궁리).
  5. 김훈기 (2010), 합성생명 (서울: 이음).
  6. 동아사이언스 (2014. 9. 5), 바이오디자이너는 뭘 디자인할까.
  7. 미디어펜 (2016. 3. 25), 최소유전체합성세균 제작, '맞춤형 인공세포' 발명 앞당겨.
  8. 사이언스온 (2010. 5. 24), '합성게놈' 통째로 이식, 박테리아 종을 바꾸다.
  9. 신상규 (2012), 트랜스휴머니즘, 세상에서 가장 위험한 생각?, 철학 논집 29, 189-217쪽.
  10. 우태민, 박범순 (2014), Post-ELSI 지형도: 합성생물학 거버넌스와 '수행되지 않은 사회과학', 과학기술학연구 14(2), 85-125쪽.
  11. 이진우 (2013), 테크노인문학 (서울: 책세상).
  12. 추병완 옮김(2015), 미래사회를 위한 준비: 도덕적 생명 향상 (서울: 하우).
  13. 카우시크 순데르 라잔, 안수진 역 (2012), 생명자본: 게놈 이후 생명의 구성 (서울: 그린비).
  14. Achenbach, J. (2016), ʻAfter secrete Harvard meeting, scientists announce plans for synthetic human genomesʼ, The Washington Post (2016. 6. 2).
  15. Arnold, F. H. (1998), ʻDesign by Directed Evolutionʼ, Acc. Chem. Res 31, pp. 125-131. https://doi.org/10.1021/ar960017f
  16. Bohannon, J. (2011), ʻThe Life Hackerʼ, Science 333(6047), pp. 1236-1237. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.333.6047.1236
  17. Bostrom, N. (2003), ʻThe Transhumanist FAQ: A General Introductionʼ, World Transhumanist Association.
  18. Bostrom, N. (2005), ʻA History of Transhumanist Thoughtʼ, Journal of Evolution and Technology 14(1). Reprinted in Rectenwald, M. and Carl, L. (2011), Academic Writing Across the Disciplines (New York: Pearson Longman).
  19. Bostrom, N. and Sandberg, A. (2008), ʻThe Wisdom of Nature: An Evolutionary Heuristic for Human Enhancementʼ in Bostrom, N. and Savulescu, J. eds., Human Enhancement (Oxford University Press).
  20. Calvert, J. (2008), ʻThe Commodification of Emergence: Systems Biology, Synthetic Biology and Intellectual Propertyʼ, Biosocieties 3, pp. 383-398. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1745855208006303
  21. Calvert, J. (2010), ʻSynthetic Biology: Constructing Nature?ʼ, The Sociological Review 58, pp.95-112. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-954X.2010.01913.x
  22. Church G. and Regis E. (2012), Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves (New York: Basic Books).
  23. Cobb, R. E., Sun, N. and Zhao, H. (2013), ʻDirected Evolution as a Powerful Synthetic Biology Tool,ʼ Methods 60(1), pp. 81-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymeth.2012.03.009
  24. Daston, L. and Vidal, F. (2004), The Moral Authority of Nature (Chicago, London: The University of Chicago Press).
  25. Endy, D. (2005), ʻFoundations for Engineering Biologyʼ, Nature 438, pp. 449-453. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04342
  26. Fukuyama, F. (2004), ʻTranshumanism: The World's Most Dangerous Ideaʼ, Foreign Policy 144 (Sep. -Oct., 2004), pp.42-43.
  27. Gardels, N. (2015), ʻGenome Pioneer: We have the dangerous power to control evolutionʼ (An interview with genome and synthetic life scientist J. Craig Venter), The World Post (2015. 9. 10).
  28. Garfinkel, M.S. and Friedman, R.M. (2010), ʻSynthetic Biology and Synthetic Genomicsʼ in Leary, D. and Pisupati, B eds. (2010), The Future of International Environmental Law (New York: United Nations University Press).
  29. Genewatch (2016. 11. 20), ʻMeiogenics: Synthetic Biology Meets Transhumanismʼ, Accessible at: http://www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/genewatch/GeneWatchPage.asp x?pageId=411#
  30. Ginsberg, A. D., Calvert, J., Schyfter, P., Elfick, A. and Endy, D. (2014), Synthetic Aesthetics: Investigating Synthetic Biology's Designs on Nature (Cambridge and London: The MIT Press).
  31. Huxley, J. (1957), ʻTranshumanismʼ, in Huxley J. ed. (1957), New Bottles for New Wine (London: Chatto & Windus).
  32. h+Media (2013. 12. 31), ʻBook Review: Life at the Speed of Light by J. Craig Venterʼ.
  33. Interlandi, J. (2015), ʻThe Church of George Churchʼ, Popular Science (2015. 5. 27).
  34. Kevles, D. J. and Hood, L. eds. (1992), The Code of Codes: Scientific and Social Issues in the Human Genome Project (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press).
  35. Knight, M. (2015), "Why are scientists vilified when they profit from their innovations?", Genetic Literacy Project (2015. 2. 26).
  36. Miller, P. (2014), ʻGeorge Church: The Future Without Limitʼ, National Geographic (2014. 6. 2).
  37. Mirowski, P. (2011), Science-mart: Privatizing American Science (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press).
  38. Morton, O. (2005), ʻLife, Reinventedʼ, Wired (2005. 1. 1).
  39. Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethics Issues (2010), New Directions: The Ethics of Synthetic Biology and Emerging Technologies, Washington D.C.
  40. Reardon, S. (2015), ʻGene-editing record smashed in pigsʼ, Nature (2015. 10. 6).
  41. Rojahn, S. Y. (2013), ʻNew Genome-Editing Method Could Make Gene Therapy More Precise and Effectiveʼ, MIT Technology Review (2013. 11. 27).
  42. Savulescu, J. (2003), "Human-Animal Transgenesis and Chimeras Might Be an Expression of Our Humanity". Journal of Bioethics 3, pp. 22-24.
  43. Service, R. F. (2016), ʻSynthetic microbe lives with fewer than 500 genesʼ, Science (2016. 3. 24).
  44. Shapin, S. (2008), The Scientific Life: A Moral History of a Late Modern Vocation (Chicago: University of Chicago Press).
  45. Silver, P. A., Way. J. C., Arnold, F. H. and Meyerowitz, J. T. (2014), ʻSynthetic Biology: Engineering Explored,ʼ Nature 509(7499), pp.166-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/509166a
  46. SingularityHub (2016. 2. 7), ʻUK Will Use CRISPR on Human Embry os - a Step Closer to Human Genome Editingʼ, Accessible at: http://singularityhub.com/2016/02/07/uk-will-use -crispr-on-human-embryos-a-step-closer-to-huma n-genome-editing/
  47. Sleator, R. D. (2010), ʻThe Story of Mycoplasma mycoides JCVI-syn1.0ʼ, Bioengineered Bugs 1(4), pp. 229-230. https://doi.org/10.4161/bbug.1.4.12465
  48. Smolke, C. D. (2009), ʻBuilding Outside of the Box: iGEM and the BioBricks Foundation,ʼ Nature Biotechnology 27, pp. 1099-1102. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1209-1099
  49. Specter, M. (2009), ʻA Life of Its Own: Where Will Synthetic Biology Lead Us?ʼ, The New Yorker (2009. 9. 28).
  50. The Economist (2014. 9. 14), ʻWelcome to My Genomeʼ.
  51. Turda, M. ed. (2013), Crafting Humans: From Genesis to Eugenics and Beyond (Goettingen: V&R unipress).
  52. Venter, J. C. (2013), Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life (New York: Penguin Books).