Biomedical Enhancement and Social Development: A Conservative Techno-Fix.

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Development Economics
• Political Philosophy

Background:

• Allen Buchanan proposes linking the ethics of human enhancement to broader development ethics.
• The 'enhancement enterprise' is viewed as a potential driver of societal development, akin to past technological advancements.
• Buchanan outlines a framework involving intellectual property rights, government intervention for equitable access, and international/intranational diffusion of enhancement technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically assess Buchanan's proposal for linking human enhancement ethics with development ethics.
• To evaluate the political implications of Buchanan's framework for enhancement technology diffusion.
• To contextualize the proposal within development economics and neoliberalism.

Main Methods:

• Distinguishing between ethical and political conservatism.
• Analyzing Buchanan's proposal through the lens of development economics.
• Examining the neoliberal approach to development in relation to enhancement technologies.

Main Results:

• Buchanan's proposal, despite its focus on equitable access, is characterized as politically conservative.
• The framework's reliance on existing structures may reinforce rather than challenge neoliberal development paradigms.
• A critical distinction is made between conservatism in ethics and conservatism in politics.

Conclusions:

• While Buchanan's framework addresses access to enhancement technologies, its political conservatism warrants further scrutiny.
• The integration of human enhancement ethics with development ethics requires careful consideration of underlying economic and political ideologies.
• Future discussions should address how enhancement technologies can genuinely promote equitable development beyond a conservative framework.