Integrated System Of Scientific And Technological Risk Precaution

Since scientific and technological risk (STR) is the major cause of the contemporary risk society, STR precaution and governance (STRPG) becomes the foremost problem confronting the risk society. Nevertheless, there is a lack of systematic interdisciplinary in-depth researches on STRPG in the current academia. This study proposes an integrated system to construct STR precaution (STRP) using interdisciplinary research methods.To start with, this study discusses the social backgrounds of the STRPG problem from the perspectives of the reflexivity of modernity and the risk situations confronting contemporary humankind. It reviews the development of STR researches and analyzes STR viewpoints and theories from different disciplines in both China and abroad. Based on the review and analysis, it illustrates that STRPG is the core problem facing the risk society, and reveals the complex and integrative nature of STRP. In addition, this study also introduces the significance of STR research and the innovation contributed by the author. It also emphases that research on integrated systems of STRPG must take advantage of interdisciplinary research methods.Second, this study redefines the concept of STR and the scope of this study. It conducts an attribution analysis of STR via describing the characteristics of contemporary STR, such as STR's high-consequence, difficulty in predicting and measuring STR, STR's complicated correlation with various factors, and STR's nature of being potentially obscure as well as being public and routine. This study classifies and explains the uncertainties inherent in science and technology, the limitations of scientific and technological institutions, and the external factors causing and influencing STR such as political interference, economic dynamics and social formation, and discloses that the generation of STR is a product of the interaction of factors including science, technology, industry and state power. Specifically, the uncertainty inherent in science and technology itself is the essential characteristic of STR while the interaction among political, economic, and social factors serves as the external causes for STR generation and growth. Therefore, STRPG should be approached via reducing the uncertainty inherent in science and technology, via breaking through from the limitations of scientific and technological institutions, and via balancing political, economic and social factors'impact on the development of science and technology.Thirdly, this study reviews the emergence and development of the precautionary principle of STR, summarizes the constituent elements of this principle, and concludes that the emergence of the precautionary principle is closely connected with scientific uncertainty. The principle aims at solving the problem of determining which kinds of intervention measures should be taken to fight against hazards of scientific uncertainty, and provides a basis for state power's STR intervention. Although the principle is faced controversial, its value as a legal principle cannot be denied. On this basis, this study further argues that the precautionary principle should be established as one of the basic principles in China's lawmaking concerning science and technology.In addition, this study analyzes the necessity, possibilities and dilemma of STRP, examines various approaches to realize STRP, and proposes that STR assessment is the precondition and foundation for STRP. In an era of post-normal science, uncertainty has moved to the center of scientific methodology from the sidelines. In the face of new features of contemporary STR, such as high uncertainty, value pluralism and high stakes, this study holds that the goal of designing a mechanism for assessing contemporary STR is to form a rational consensus via plural, multi-fold, extensive and rational communication, thus providing a legitimate foundation for decision-making in STRPG. On this basis, it further presents that an integrated system for realize STRP calls for balancing plural values, such as risk and reason, science and politics, as well as freedom and security, and for increasing institutional reflexivity. The consultative STR-assessment system is proposed as an exact response to the above-mentioned research results.Finally, this study offers some thoughts for improving China's STR assessment mechanisms on the basis of considering the special context of China's STR problem.