Vulnerabilità, responsabilità ed immagine umana nell’epoca della civiltà tecnologica

Abstract

The present article deeps the possibility that the human being would become, in the current times, the privileged object of technology (especially with reference to genetic manipulation). This implies some relevant ethical consequences, and in particular: can the human genome be the “object” of our responsibility? Are we responsible for the preservation of our genome? The answer to that question depends, first of all, on finding the cause of the vulnerability of nature – and, specifically, of human nature. If our power – generated by the advent and use of emerging technologies – is the privileged source of such vulnerability (as Jonas suggests), it is therefore necessary to regulate it ethically. This implies putting some limitations on the technology in order to respect that (human) vulnerability.