Philosophy Ph.D. Dissertations

Ethics of Enhancement: Enhancing for Everyone Else

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Philosophy

First Advisor

Sara Worley (Committee Chair)

Second Advisor

Neal Jesse (Other)

Third Advisor

Brandon Warmke (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Michael Weber (Committee Member)

Abstract

Advances in biomedical science have provided us with new and potent means of self-betterment that allow us to improve our capacities more quickly and effectively than ever before. I argue that these advances warrant a re-examination of our duties of self-improvement. My discussion of the ethics of enhancement has three primary objectives. First, I describe the duty of self-betterment and explain why biomedical enhancement is exceptionally well-suited to fulfill our duties of self-betterment Secondly, I compare hypothetical forms of biomedical enhancement to the practice of vaccination and argue that the arguments for our duty to be vaccinated are equally applicable to our duty to use other forms biomedical enhancement, especially when such enhancement helps us fulfill our Duty of Easy Rescue. Finally, I consider the impact that biomedical enhancement may have on the value of our achievements and respond to achievement-based objections to the use of biomedical enhancement. Ultimately, I conclude that biomedical enhancement is a reasonable, and sometimes required, means by which we can fulfill our duties of self-betterment, and deserves to be viewed more favorably in the future when considering means by which we might improve our capacities.

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