The meanings of (synthetic) life: A study of science information as discourse.

摘要

This dissertation research addressed the questions of the form, organization, discursive construction, and justification of information on the emerging issue of the synthesis of life forms, or synthetic life (SL). It employed a socio-critical perspective and combined empirical inquiry with theory-grounded interpretations in an attempt to answer its research questions. It used the theories developed by Habermas and Foucault to formulate research questions, collect data, and critically engage with the sampled materials. The composite model of discourse analysis was created and applied to the data to analyze particular textual markers and generate data-supported interpretations and explanations.;The findings suggest that science information disseminates in a variety of forms, predominantly in the digital format. The discussion on the issues of synthetic life started in the 1930s and gained more visibility over time. While the information was organized along several topics, most of them focused on specific issues, such as the synthesis of DNA or the development of synthetic biology as a discipline. The larger issues of changing understandings of life and possible outcomes for society were rarely directly addressed. The SL discourse advanced several understandings of life with the engineering approach being dominant in the discourse. The justification techniques for synthetic life identified in the study included the emphasis on the development of products and instruments, the advancement of knowledge and understanding, and the better life argument.;On a broader level, this study offers a deeper understanding of the structure and content of the debates on emerging technoscientific issues. It advances the concepts of document and discourse as more appropriate tools for the analysis of science communication. As intentionally interdisciplinary and critically reflective, it contributes to the advancement of philosophical and sociological inquiry in information sciences and opens a topic that has not been examined before for further analysis.