A Study On Social Control Over Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology, a new emerging technology, will exert with its development and application an important impact on both economic and social development in the 21st century. Development and application of nanotechnology can be beneficial for human beings but can also have negative effects. As a result, our human beings should rationally take some measures of social control over nanotechnology so as to lessen or even eliminate its negative effects and benefit human beings.The thesis includes five parts:Part one proposes three pieces of evidence for feasibility of social control over nanotechnology and analyzes current research on social control over nanotechnology at home and abroad. After analyzing current research, the author argues for the main measures for social control over nanotechnology and probe into a dynamic research. Part two studies the concept, development, and application of nano technology and draws a general picture of nano technology.Part three puts forward the guiding principles for social control over nano- technology; namely, human values surpass technology values and integrity of system. And then it discusses the imperativeness for social control over nanotechnology. Nano technology has two sides like a coin, positive side and negative side, so we should rationally handle both sides of nanotechnology and take actions to control its negative effects.Part four is the main body of the thesis. It illustrates, based on the guiding principles, the measures and the process of social control over nanotechnology. For one thing, some measures of social control should be taken, including law, administrative means, morality, propaganda, and education, etc. For another, the process of social control over nanotechnology is dynamic, which is generally composed of decision-making, implementing, monitoring, and feedbacking. They relate and interact with each other.Part five expounds significance and measures to perfect social control over nano- technology. The inner means and outer means of nanotechnology should be interacted and replenished and have the compound effect, i.e. it proposes that the integrated measures should be taken and that some laws or regulations should be made or complemented; moreover, it suggests that monitoring of social control over nanotechnology should be strengthened and that information should be fully shared and international cooperation should be enhanced.