Genetics, biometrics and the informatization of the body
Van der Ploeg, I.
Annali Dell'istituto Superiore di Sanita 43(1): 44-50
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-2571 PMID: 17536153 Document Number: 606620
"Genetics" is a term covering a wide set of theories, practices, and technologies, only some of which overlap with the practices and technologies of biometrics. In this paper some current technological developments relating to biometric applications of genetics will be highlighted. Next, the author will elaborate the notion of the informatization of the body, by means of a brief philosophical detour on the dualisms of language and reality, words and things. In the subsequent sections she will then draw out some of the questions relevant to the purposes of Biometrics Identification Technology Ethics (BITE), and discuss the ethical problems associated with the informatization of the body. There are, however some problems and limitations to the currently dominant ethical discourse to deal with all things ethical in relation to information technology in general, and biometrics or genetics in particular. The final section will discuss some of these meta-problems.