Moral Transhumanism: The Next Step
The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy A Forum for Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine August 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1093/jmp/jhs024 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Transhumanism Human enhancement Harm Realm Environmental ethics Context archaeology Epistemology Engineering ethics Law and economics Interdisciplinary studies |
| Citations | 40 |
| Key points | Proposes that psilocybin may represent a viable, practical option for moral enhancement and that further research in moral psychology could advance moral transhumanism. |
Abstract
Although transhumanism offers hope for the transcendence of human biological limitations, it generates many intrinsic and consequential ethical concerns. The latter include issues such as the exacerbation of social inequalities and the exponentially increasing technological capacity to cause harm. To mitigate these risks, many thinkers have initiated investigations into the possibility of moral enhancement that could limit the power disparities facilitated by biotechnological enhancement. The arguments often focus on whether moral enhancement is morally permissible, or even obligatory, and remain largely in the realm of the hypothetical. This paper proposes that psilocybin may represent a viable, practical option for moral enhancement and that its further research in the context of moral psychology could comprise the next step in the development of moral transhumanism.