Neuroethics beyond Normal

Area of Science:

• Neuroethics
• Bioethics
• Human Enhancement

Background:

• Conventional neuroethics relies on normality standards, insufficient for emerging bio- and cyberenhancements.
• Distinguishing treatments from enhancements is context-dependent, influenced by social and performance expectations.
• Disability studies offer insights into enablement and inclusion for categorizing human modifications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a principled neuroethics framework for guiding human transformations.
• To re-evaluate the concept of "enhancement" by distinguishing between enablement, augmentation, and radical augmentation.
• To establish ethical guidelines for emerging bio- and cyberenhancements.

Main Methods:

• Developing four core principles for neuroethics: self-creativity, nonobsolescence, empowerment, and citizenship.
• Analyzing the implications of augmentations on selfhood, self-worth, and self-identity.
• Examining the ethical challenges posed by the irreversibility of augmentations and societal integration.

Main Results:

• A proposed neuroethics framework that moves beyond normality standards.
• Categorization of modifications into enablement, augmentation, and radical augmentation.
• Identification of heightened ethical scrutiny for augmentations impacting self-identity and the complexity of reversibility.

Conclusions:

• The proposed four principles offer a neuroethics "beyond normal" for navigating future human and societal transformations.
• This framework is better equipped to address the ethical challenges of advanced bio- and cyberenhancements.
• Ethical considerations must adapt to a future where human capabilities significantly exceed current norms.