Abstract
In recent years, the prospects and perils of cognitive enhancement (CE) have been a matter of great debate. This chapter examines three objections to the use of CE. All three objections are based on potential effects that the use of CE is thought to have on the value of achievement. According to the first objection, the reason that we should oppose the use of CE is that it would cause us to no longer be responsible for our achievements. The second objection, in contrast, holds that we should oppose the use of CE because it would make us too responsible for our achievements, or the lack thereof. According to the third objection, we should oppose the use of CE because it would have character-eroding effects. This chapter examines a number of counter-arguments against each of these three objections. The chapter concludes that none of the three objections succeed as in principle objections to the use of CE.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
It could be argued that the “natural” distribution of abilities ought to be valued (and preserved) because it is undesirable to interfere too much with nature, but this is an altogether different objection to the use of enhancement.
References
President’s Council on Bioethics (2003) Beyond therapy: biotechnology and the pursuit of happiness. PCB, Washington, DC. http://bioethics.georgetown.edu/pcbe/reports/beyondtherapy/index.html. Retrieved 18 Mar 2008
Bostrom N, Sandberg A (2009) Cognitive enhancement: methods, ethics, regulatory challenges. Sci Eng Ethics 15:311–341
Bostrom N, Savulescu J (eds) (2009) Human enhancement. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Chatterjee A (2004) Cosmetic neurology. Neurology 63:968–974
Chatterjee A (2006) The promise and predicament of cosmetic neurology. J Med Ethics 32:110–113
Cole-Turner R (1998) Do means matter? In: Parens E (ed) Enhancing human traits: ethical and social implications. Georgetown University Press, Washington, DC
Farah MJ (2002) Emerging ethical issues in neuroscience. Nat Neurosci 5:1123–1129
Fox D (2005) Safety, efficacy, and authenticity: the gap between ethics and law in FDA decision-making. Mich State Law Rev, 1135
Goodman R (2010) Cognitive enhancement, cheating, and accomplishment. Kennedy Inst Ethics J 20(2):145–160
Greely H, Sahakian B, Harris J, Kessler RC, Gazzaniga M, Campbell P, Farah MF (2008) Commentary: towards responsible use of cognitive-enhancing drugs by the healthy. Nature 456:702–705
Harris J (1992) Wonderwoman and superman: ethics of human biotechnology. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Kamm F (2009) What is and is not wrong with enhancement? In: Bostrom N, Savulescu J (eds) Human enhancement. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Mehlman MJ (2004) Cognition-enhancing drugs. Milbank Q 82(3):483–506
Olsen JM (2006) Depression, SSRIs, and the supposed obligation to suffer mentally. Kennedy Inst Ethics J 16(3):283–303
Radoilska L (2010) An Aristotelian approach to cognitive enhancement. J Value Inq 44(3):365–375
Sandel M (2004) The case against perfection. Ethics in the age of genetic engineering. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA
Schermer M (2008) Enhancements, easy shortcuts, and the richness of human activities. Bioethics 22:355–363
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Forsberg, L. (2013). No Pain, No Gain? Objections to the Use of Cognitive Enhancement on the Basis of Its Potential Effects on the Value of Achievement. In: Hildt, E., Franke, A. (eds) Cognitive Enhancement. Trends in Augmentation of Human Performance, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6253-4_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6253-4_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-6252-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6253-4
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)