Rifkin, Jeremy (1945–)

Jeremy Rifkin is a social activist, philosopher, author, and founder of the foundation on Economic Trends. His well-known opposition to the biotechnology industry has angered many scientists and corporate leaders. Rifkin is often accused of being anti-science and anti-technology for his efforts to prevent what he views as a careless charge to exploit the secrets of biology. However, his supporters praise him for concentrating on the philosophical, ethical, and social implications of scientific research. In spite of his controversial opinions and his frequently uncompromising approach, Rifkin has earned the respect of many.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts in economics at the University of Pennsylvania, Rifkin chose Tufts University for his graduate education. In the late 1960s, he became involved in the peace movement by organizing mock war trials, helping organize the 1968 March on the Pentagon and, in 1969, establishing the Citizens Commission, comprising Vietnam veterans willing to report on U.S. war crimes.

Published in 1972, Common Sense II and How to Commit Revolution American Style further expanded on Rifkin's views concerning the need to expand social activism and the importance of community involvement in the decision-making process. By the late 1970s, Rifkin had turned his attention to the emerging biotechnology industry. The newly developed process of transferring genes from one organism to another appeared to have several practical applications in medicine and agriculture. After the scientific community lifted their self-imposed ban on research in the mid-1970s, Rifkin became concerned about the implications associated with the transferring of genes from one organism to another. Rifkin's 1977 book, Who Should Play God? explored the biotechnology industry and concluded that the many unanswered questions concerning the safety and overall usefulness of genetic engineering required an end to the research.

This opposition to genetic engineering started Rifkin's career of opposition to what he has called today's church, the scientific establishment. Rifkin believes that society's current unwavering admiration for science and technology originates from the Age of Enlightenment. Rifkin argues that intellectuals such as Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin established a philosophy, which he believes still exists, in which the use of science to gain control over nature is the ultimate goal. He believes that it is the pursuit of this goal that threatens the survival of humanity and nature.

In addition to his opposition to genetic engineering, Rifkin is concerned by what he calls hypercapitalism. In The Age of Access, Rifkin argues that a new era of hypercapitalism is quickly replacing the current period of industrial production. Rifkin believes that companies that only offer services, such as Disney, Microsoft, and Time Warner, will soon replace the traditional economic structure. He suggests that since a majority of new companies make money solely through fee-for-service and that consumers never own the product, the foundations of capitalism are in jeopardy.