Is Human Enhancement also a Personal Matter?

Abstract

Emerging technologies are increasingly used in an attempt to "enhance the human body and/or mind" beyond the contemporary standards that characterize human beings. Yet, such standards are deeply controversial and it is not an easy task to determine whether the application of a given technology to an individual and its outcome can be defined as a human enhancement or not. Despite much debate on its potential or actual ethical and social impacts, human enhancement is not subject to any consensual definition. This paper proposes a timely and much needed examination of the various definitions found in the literature. We classify these definitions into four main categories: the implicit approach, the therapy-enhancement distinction, the improvement of general human capacities and the increase of well-being. After commenting on these different approaches and their limitations, we propose a definition of human enhancement that focuses on individual perceptions. While acknowledging that a definition that mainly depends on personal and subjective individual perceptions raises many challenges, we suggest that a comprehensive approach to define human enhancement could constitute a useful premise to appropriately address the complexity of the ethical and social issues it generates.

We Are Super-Humans

“…Therefore, we need to provide a definition of HE in order to understand which technologies can be classified as HE technologies. A generic definition of HE is "the improvement, amelioration or creation of human capabilities, before or after birth, through the use of various types of technologies linked to many fields of science" [16]. This definition comprises both "traditional" (or called also "natural") and "modern" enhancements.…”

“…The Carlson Curve describes the biotechnological equivalent of Moore's law and predicts the exponential growth in performance and the decreasing of costs of a variety of technologies, including DNA sequencing and synthesis [7]. The current main objectives of the NBICs consist in increasing human lifespan (aiming at immortality), improving mental skills, bringing more happiness, providing stronger bodies, increasing fertility, and choosing genetic characteristics of future offspring [16]. The aforementioned examples are addressed as "modern" enhancements and another characteristic that makes them different from the "traditional" ones resides in the progressive integration in the human body [13].…”

“…In the first case, NBICs are used as a treatment to heal or improving health conditions in order to restore normal functioning; in the second case, true HE comprehends the application of technologies that aim at improving abilities and characteristics beyond normal functioning. In this case, HE "is opposed to medical interventions that aim to treat a disease or alleviate its burdens" [16]. An example of technology that is currently used in both manners can be found in the current evolution of artificial limbs and exoskeletons.…”

“…However, there are several issues related to the distinction between therapy and enhancement. The first issue resides in the definition of health and disease [16]. Moreover, the therapy-enhancement dichotomy seems to be a problem of the future since contemporary medicine already includes non-therapy practices, such as cosmetic surgery [5].…”

Cochlear Implantation, Enhancements, Transhumanism and Posthumanism: Some Human Questions

“…There are different approaches to defining human enhancement, e.g. an intervention which aims to treat a disease may actually be both an enhancement and a treatment, depending on the approach (Menuz et al 2013). Hollinger (2013) asks, when does a growth hormone become an enhancement over therapy?…”