Le pouvoir de domination de la technobiologie. V. Nécessité et limites du principe de précaution

Abstract

Almost all aspects of our life are now affected by progress in the technosciences. Together with the increasing association between sciences and money and with the direct intervention of technobiology practices into living mechanisms, this substantially increases the frequency and the gravity of hazards for the Human being, hence the emergence of the precaution principle. According to this principle, it can be justified or imperative to limit or even to stop certain actions that can be potentially dangerous i.e. long before the scientific certainty of the occurrence of the danger. From examples in relation with the case of blood contamination, with the regulation of atmospheric pollution, with the GMO, with the vaccination against hepatitis B or with the mad cow alert, and the “chicken gate” it is shown that the precaution principle would has been applied in some cases, has been applied in other cases and should be applied in some other cases. However, the precaution principle that can modify the intrinsic notion of resposibility, should not lead to the inaction. In front of the three powers (sciences, media, political), this principle needs the intervention of citizens considered in their cultural choices, a situation that, beforehand, implies the organisation of an adequate information.