A New Approach To Synthetic Biology:"Build Life To Understand It" And Its Philosophical Analysis

In the 21 st century,as a result of multidisciplinary and technology integration,synthetic biology has opened a new era of “artificial life”.In the fields of energy,medicine,materials,food and other application research,synthetic biology has a wide range of applications.In the field of life science,natural philosophy and other fundamental research,the research significance of synthetic biology is more important.This paper argues that synthetic biology is not only one of the three basic methods of systems biology after years of development.It is also different from the systems biology "top-down" and "bottom-up" traditional approach that "building life to understand it" as a new approach to synthetic biology.Besides,synthetic biology has its own unique subject characteristics,and it also provides different philosophical values.From the aspect of ontology,the new approach provides a creative approach to understanding living organisms,and it is of positive significance to realize the understanding of the essence of life and the liberation of human beings.From the aspect of epistemology,the new approach provides the direction-changing of interpretive from "passive descriptive analysis" to "active constructive synthesis" about nature and life in science,and new insights into the nature of life.From the aspect of methodology,the new approach introduces the advanced concepts such as "initiative","synthesis","construction","creation","practice",and also provides a solid foundation of knowledge and technology in order to realize the goal of life science to explore the truth of life.However,it also causes related philosophical issues.It causes humans don't know how to define life and how to understand the relationship between man and nature that "artificial life" and other interventions for natural evolution from the aspect of ontology.Whether the new approach is in accordance with the point of view of "ontological synthesis" from the aspect of epistemology.The new approach will how to control technical risk and how to ensure bio-safety,and how to solve the problem of knowledge and technology from the aspect of methodology?In order to answer these questions,this paper introduces the perspective of the constructive version of structural realism based on the research of the new approach,and holds that the former provides the theoretical basis and defense path for the philosophical problems which are caused by the latter;the latter confirms the basic view of the former,and provides a wealth of biological examples as well as a new perspective of methodology and epistemology for the former.On the issues of ontology,the new approach is the same as the structural realism,which holds an open,historical,rational,comprehensive and objective view of the entity,and believes that the definition of the living organisms is not a preset or invariable,but the result of "ontology synthesis".In the process of transforming nature and creating life,man has constructed and reconstructed the relationship between man and nature,man and artificial life.On the issues of epistemology,based on the profound understanding of the structure and function of the living organisms,it establishes the priority of structure knowledge in epistemology that the behavior of rational design,synthesis and control of the new approach.The new approach provides a reasonable,progressive and synthetic way for the life and life.Accordingly,the new approach is consistent with the " ontology synthesis " and " empirical constraints " view.On the issues of methodology,the new approach combines the advantages of "subject synthesis","technology integration" and "knowledge integration".The knowledge and technical problems faced by the new approach can be solved through cooperation and consultation by experts in various fields.