Lucas Rafael Gonçalves Ferreira

The purpose of this dissertation is to reflect philosophically on contemporary developments in genetic engineering and synthetic biology, especially after the emergence of the CRISPR technique for genome editing in 2012, here called experimental genetics. To this end, we return to the debate about epistemological reductionism and anti-reductionism in the philosophy of science and how experimental genetics contributes to the discussions. Also, from the laboratory practice of experimental genetics, we revisit the philosophy of scientific experiment, from the perspective of the "new experimentalism" in the philosophy of science. From these reflections we outline what would be the experimental genetics research program, we base the so-called experimental argument in defense of epistemological reductionism. Finally, the paper proposes the need for philosophical reflection in the philosophy of biology to take place in the light of new technologies of genetic engineering and synthetic biology, taking into account both science as representation and science as intervention.