SCIENCE AND IDEOLOGY IN DNA RESEARCH
A review of The Doctrine of DNA by R.C. Lewontin (Penguin Books, 1993)

My main reason for reading Lewontin's book was to stimulate thought on the Human Genome Project (HGP). I have, for some time, been aware of important issues surrounding the venture: the large size of the research grants, the commercial interests, the practice of patenting genes, and possible applications in the treatment of genetic disorders and in genetic engineering. There is a need for Christians to bring a biblical perspective to this complex area. Lewontin's views are of interest because he is one of the world's leading geneticists and because he is highly sceptical of the claims made to justify continuing governmental support for the HGP. 

Five of the six chapters in this book started life as radio broadcasts. The remaining chapter is an edited version of an essay on the HGP. The style is non-technical, making the arguments accessible to a wide range of readers. 

At the outset, Lewontin makes a case for a healthy scepticism about much scientific activity - this is fundamental to his subsequent discussion. Do we think science is objective? The first chapter is intended to promote disillusionment in those who think that science is a sure pathway to truth! Lewontin is by no means anti-science: he writes to show that science is 8 social activity which tends to conceal vested interests. There are hidden agendas for many of the sweeping claims which are often made about the achievements of science. 

People have realised for a long time that religion has been used as a tool for establishing social control. The dangers are particularly marked where there is a state religion, and where the social institutions and political leaders are perceived to have the approval of God. Lewontin develops the picture: 

"But this description also fits science and has made it possible for science to replace religion as the chief legitimating force in modem society. .. 

"Not only the methods and institutions of science are said to be above ordinary human relations but, of course, the product of science is claimed to be a kind of universal truth. The secrets of nature are unlocked. Once the truth about nature is revealed, one must accept the facts of life. When science speaks, let no dog bark." (p.8)

After reviewing several examples of bow scientists have reflected and reinforced the dominant views of society (including the case of Darwin and the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection), Lewontin puts his finger on the orthodoxy that he wishes to expose as ideology: 

"For biology, this world view has resulted in a particular picture of organisms and their total life activity. Living beings are seen as being determined by internal factors, the genes ... We will understand what we are when we know what our genes are made of... In the words of Richard Dawkins, one of the leading proponents of this biological view, we are "lumbering robots" whose genes "created us body and mind"." (p.13)

Before reading this book, it had not struck me so forcibly just how many disciplines of science are affected by DNA ideology, and just how much the ideology has been used to promote the interests of the HGP. 

"Genes make individuals, individuals have particular preferences and behaviours, the collection of preferences and behaviours makes a culture, and so genes make culture. That is why molecular biologists urge us to spend as much money as necessary to discover the sequence of the DNA of a human being. They say that when we know the sequence of the molecule that makes up all our genes, we will know what it is to be human." (p.14)

What is it to be human? A biblical understanding of the creation of man allows us a clear path through the turbulent and often heated discussions. Man is unique in that he has been made in the image of God.

As individuals, we are a mysterious unity of body and soul. Physical death is a temporary separation of our corruptible flesh and our eternal spirit. DNA molecules are wonderful components of God's creation, with extraordinary capacities for storing coded information, and we cannot begin to understand the complexities of molecular biology without knowing about them. But to say "DNA is everything" is ideology! Such a claim has never been justified scientifically, and it cannot be valid for man if we are truly made in God's image. 

In the interests of controlling the size of this review, we must pass over much of Lewontin's subject matter. This means curtailing the discussion of human intelligence, the "nature - nurture" controversy, biological determinism and scientific racism. We must pass by issues such as the causes of diseases (including cancer) and the supposed triumph of genetics in plant breeding. Sociobiology is a subject which must also be left, together with the controversies about the use of DNA fmgerprinting as a forensic tool. The focus for what space remains is Lewontin's critical analysis of the HGP. 

1. The HGP has a concept of a "standard" human genome. However, this fails to address the problem of polymorphism. Genetic differences between individuals exist at the level of about 0.1%. Variants from a supposed standard would be difficult to analyse - are they normal or are they significant? There is no guarantee that mutations will be excluded from the "standard sequence" as polymorphism studies are not part of the HGP. 

2. Knowledge of a DNA sequence does not give us knowledge of what the messages mean. Like words in sentences in our language, the meaning of DNA sequences depend on their context. Completing the HGP is but the first step in the extraordinarily complex task of decoding the information. 

3. The list of  'deliverables' put forward by the HGP advocates is based more on ideology than on science. 

"Some of the wonder-workers and their disciples see even beyond the major causes of death and disease. They have an image of social peace and order emerging from the DNA data bank at the National Institutes of Health. The editor of the most prestigious general American scientific journal, Science, an energetic publicist for large DNA sequencing projects, in special issues of his journal filled with full-page multicoloured advertisements from biotechnology equipment manufacturers, has visions of genes for alcoholism, unemployment, domestic and social violence, and drug addiction. What we had previously imagined to be messy moral, political, and economic issues turn out, after all, to be simply a matter of an occasional nucleotide substitution. While the notion that the war on drugs will be won by genetic engineering belongs to Cloud Cuckoo Land, it is a manifestation of a serious ideology that is continuous with the eugenics of an earlier time. " (p.72)

4. Self-interest is the fourth ingredient of Lewontin's challenge to the scientific credibility of the HGP. 

"No prominent molecular biologist of my acquaintance is without a financial stake in the biotechnology business. As a result, serious conflicts of interest have emerged in universities and in government service". (p.74)

The controversies surrounding the practice of patenting genes are an indication of a strong commercial agenda. One senior figure in the HGP is reported as saying: "the issue of ownership is at the heart of everything we do". (p.75) 

It must be said that Lewontin's book does not provide a Christian perspective on the topics discussed. The HGP cries out for an input from those who take the Bible seriously as a source of revelation and guidance. Nevertheless, Christians can undoubtedly benefit from reading this book - Lewontin is a mine of useful information and thought-provoking insights. 

David J. Tyler (March 1996) 

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