Magic Bullets I, History, Philosophy and Criticisms

Abstract

“Magic bullet” is a key term in the many critiques of agricultural biotechnology. The search for magic bullets is a key element in the narrative of progress, and remains an important goal of biomedical and agricultural research. The first part of this chapter examines the historical origins of the magic bullet strategy in biomedicine. There are clear parallels in biomedicine and agriculture, which both overuse and misuse the magic bullet strategy, causing serious health and environmental problems. Understanding the parallels and connections between biomedicine and agriculture provides for a deeper understanding of the genetic engineering debate. The second part of this chapter uses unintended consequences to critically examine and evaluate the magic bullet criticisms of biotechnology based on unintended consequences with the objective of determining where these criticisms provide insights and where they can mislead. The chapter concludes that, rather than rejecting the magic bullet strategy, we would do well to understand its defects and limitations. These investigations into the history, philosophy, and defects of the magic bullet strategy provide a framework for critically examining genetically engineered crops in terms of three categories: side effects, revenge effects, and balance between reductive and holistic strategies. The next chapter will apply these categories for criticisms of the magic bullet strategy to evaluate the two most widely used and profitable genetically engineered crops.