The finitude of nature: Rethinking the ethics of biotechnology

Byline: Helen A. Fielding (1) Keywords: biotechnology; Heidegger; intersexuality; Merleau-Ponty; nature; physis Abstract: In order to open new possibilities for bioethics, I argue that we need to rethink our concept of nature. The established cognitive framework determines in advance how new technologies will become visible. Indeed, in this dualistic approach of metaphysics, nature is posited as limitless, as material endowed with force which causes us to lose the sense of nature as arising out of itself, of having limits, an end. In contrast, drawing upon the example of the gender assignment and construction of intersexed infants, I want to suggest for bioethics an understanding of nature that arises not from our scientific explorations, but rather from attending to our situated perceptual encounters with the world which underlie such experimentation these encounters are too easily overlooked, and yet they are crucial for opening up new ways of thinking. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Philosophy/Centre for Women's Studies and Feminist Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ont., Canada, N6A 3K7 Article History: Registration Date: 08/10/2004 Article note: This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.