Fig. 2
From: Evolutionary tinkering vs. rational engineering in the times of synthetic biology
The interpretive frame of synthetic biology for understanding how live systems work. The starting is Monod’s argument (top) on how the appearance of purpose in living systems (teleonomy) is a useful tool to understand the logic of biological objects—without accepting metaphysically its reality (teleology). By the same token, the appearance of design (what I call technonomy) is an invaluable conceptual asset to make sense of the relational composition of live systems that makes them work—without adopting any belief beyond that (e.g. reality of design: technology)