Governing Molecules

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Scientists, investors, policymakers, the media, and the public have shown ongoing interest in the commercial potential and risks of genetic engineering. Herbert Gottweis explores the controversy surrounding this technology, highlighting the divergent views of those who advocate for its advancement and those who oppose it. He begins with an exposition of poststructuralist theory and its implications for research methodology, presenting a unique approach to political analysis that emphasizes the role of narratives in policy development. Through over eighty in-depth interviews and extensive archival research, Gottweis connects today's debates to the sociopolitical and scientific roots of molecular biology, particularly its ties to eugenics. He argues that various political and scientific strategies have sought to make genes objects of technological intervention—essentially making them "governable." By examining pivotal events like the 1975 Asilomar conference, conflicts in Germany, and regulatory issues in Britain and France during the 1980s, he reveals that the struggle over the boundaries and representations of genetic engineering shaped the political dynamics of risk regulation. In a crucial chapter on biotechnology and policy, he critiques the portrayal of genetic engineering as a key component of a new "high technology" industry, framing it as a policy myth tied to identity politics. He advocates for creating conditions that