Paper presented at the European Ethics Summit Conference: 'Sustaining Humanity Beyond Humanism', European Parliament, Brussels, 29-30 August 2002, Organised by the European Ethics Network. Published in: Andrzej Wierci•ski (ed.): Between Description and Interpretation. The Hermeneutic Turn in Phenomenology. Toronto: The Hermeneutic Press (2005), 571-581. PHILOSOPHICAL PRESUPPOSITIONS OF PRODUCING AND PATENTING ORGANIC LIFE Rafael Capurro Content Introduction I. A Phenomenology of Organic Life II. Technology within a Phenomenological Context III. Legitimacy and Limits of Producing and Patenting Organic Life Conclusion Notes