Human Enhancement: Research projects
Human enhancement: What does motivate individuals?
Some biotechnologies may be used in an attempt to “enhance the human body and/or mind” beyond the contemporary standards that characterize human beings. Yet, “human enhancement” raises complex bioethical questions. We have shown that human enhancement is tightly linked to personal considerations, placing the motivations to be enhanced at the center of the concept (Menuz et al., 2011). However, despite much debate on the potential or actual ethical and social impacts of human enhancement, the motivations from which the desire of individuals to be enhanced (or not) originate have been poorly investigated. We believe that studying further such personal motivations may bring useful clues in the assessment of the ethical issues at stake.
We have distinguished two main motivations to be enhanced: the first is grounded in our desire to match fast changing artificial environments our societies are creating; the second is linked to human frailty. Motivations grounded on environments are linked to the wish – and sometimes the need – for individuals to better match the artificial fast-changing environment our societies are... Read more
Some biotechnologies may be used in an attempt to “enhance the human body and/or mind” beyond the contemporary standards that characterize human beings. Yet, “human enhancement” raises complex bioethical questions. We have shown that human enhancement is tightly linked to personal considerations, placing the motivations to be enhanced at the center of the concept (Menuz et al., 2011). However, despite much debate on the potential or actual ethical and social impacts of human enhancement, the motivations from which the desire of individuals to be enhanced (or not) originate have been poorly investigated. We believe that studying further such personal motivations may bring useful clues in the assessment of the ethical issues at stake.
We have distinguished two main motivations to be enhanced: the first is grounded in our desire to match fast changing artificial environments our societies are creating; the second is linked to human frailty. Motivations grounded on environments are linked to the wish – and sometimes the need – for individuals to better match the artificial fast-changing environment our societies are creating. Motivations based on human frailty describes motivations embedded in one’s desire or need to fight the anxiety created by our knowledge of human frailty (disease, suffering and death).
We are currently working on the socio-ethical issues raised by such anxieties, particularly on the influences that the fear of death may have on individuals' motivations to increase their life-span and/or decelerate their aging. We are exploring (i) whether and how fear of death may act as a driving force in the current efforts to decelerate aging and/or extend lifespan; (ii) whether and how such fear is embedded and used in the promotion of positive health behaviors intended to ensure a healthy aging, with criteria set by medicine and/or governments and/or society.
This project is conducted by Vincent Menuz, postdoctoral research fellow, under the supervision of Béatrice Godard.
Reference
Menuz, V., Hurlimann, T., and Godard, B. (2011). Is Human Enhancement also a Personal Matter? Science and engineering ethics DOI: 10.1007/s11948-011-9294-y. Online first.
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Publications
Menuz, V., Hurlimann, T., Godard, B. (2011) "Is Human Enhancement also a Personal Matter?" Sci Eng Ethics [Epub ahead of print]
Date: From 2010 - ongoing
Research Team : Béatrice Godard, Vincent Menuz
Funding: Swiss National Science Foundation and the network Apogee-Net/CanGèneTest
Contact:
Vincent Menuz
