The Historical Construction of the Precautionary Principle as a Response to Scientific and Technological Development

Abstract

The different attempts to conceptualize the precautionary principle are generally constructed from the responses that have found by legal systems, both of state and international character, to deal with the uncertainty that causes the generation of risks from the development, particularly facing new technologies. Thus, important lessons can be found in history regarding how to deal with situations that damage mainly the environment, human health, animals or plants, so it is important to know how they have faced and given form to this principle in practice, which has a fundamental importance to turn into a guarantee, against the progress of the sciences, in order that it is not more expensive "safe than sorry".