MORAL ENHANCEMENT VIA DIRECT EMOTION MODULATION: A REPLY TO JOHN HARRIS

被引:78
作者
Douglas, Thomas [1 ,2 ]
机构
[1] Oxford Uehiro Ctr Pract Eth, Oxford, England
[2] Univ Oxford Balliol Coll, Oxford OX1 3BJ, England
基金
英国惠康基金;
关键词
moral enhancement; biomedical enhancement; moral education; emotion; freedom; John Harris;
D O I
10.1111/j.1467-8519.2011.01919.x
中图分类号
B82 [伦理学(道德学)];
学科分类号
摘要
Some argue that humans should enhance their moral capacities by adopting institutions that facilitate morally good motives and behaviour. I have defended a parallel claim: that we could permissibly use biomedical technologies to enhance our moral capacities, for example by attenuating certain counter-moral emotions. John Harris has recently responded to my argument by raising three concerns about the direct modulation of emotions as a means to moral enhancement. He argues (1) that such means will be relatively ineffective in bringing about moral improvements, (2) that direct modulation of emotions would invariably come at an unacceptable cost to our freedom, and (3) that we might end up modulating emotions in ways that actually lead to moral decline. In this article I outline some counter-intuitive potential implications of Harris' claims. I then respond individually to his three concerns, arguing that they license only the very weak conclusion that moral enhancement via direct emotion modulation is sometimes impermissible. However I acknowledge that his third concern might, with further argument, be developed into a more troubling objection to such enhancements.
引用
收藏
页码:160 / 168
页数:9
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