This paper looks at extrinsic concerns about biotechnology. These extrinsic concerns are more open to debate than intrinsic concerns, as they invite discussion about what the most likely consequences really are and suggestions about how they might be avoided or modified. In practice, however, they appear to be expressed as vehemently and dogmatically as the intrinsic variety, and so stand in equal need of detached ethical appraisal. These extrinsic concerns include issues such as the balance between risks and benefits, the ethics of patenting life-forms and the likely socioeconomic impact of biotechnology.
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