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Area of Science:

  • * Philosophy of technology
  • * Neuroethics
  • * Virtue ethics

Background:

  • * Moral bioenhancement (MBE) proposes enhancing morally desirable emotions and dispositions.
  • * Some scholars suggest MBE could foster virtue, but this claim requires scrutiny within ethical frameworks.
  • * Existing technologies for MBE raise questions about their efficacy and ethical implications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To evaluate whether moral bioenhancement can reliably produce virtue from a virtue ethics perspective.
  • * To identify the inherent moral risks associated with pursuing MBE within virtue ethics.
  • * To analyze the compatibility of current MBE technologies with the core components of virtue.

Main Methods:

  • * Analysis of virtue ethics, focusing on its core components: motivational, rational, and behavioral.
  • * Examination of existing moral bioenhancement technologies and their capabilities.
  • * Argumentative synthesis of virtue ethics principles with MBE's potential impact.

Main Results:

  • * Moral bioenhancement cannot reliably produce virtue because it fails to consistently meet the motivational, rational, and behavioral criteria of virtue ethics.
  • * Existing MBE technologies do not adequately address the nuanced requirements for cultivating genuine virtue.
  • * The pursuit of MBE introduces significant moral risks within a virtue ethics framework.

Conclusions:

  • * From a virtue ethics standpoint, moral bioenhancement is unlikely to cultivate genuine virtue.
  • * The application of current MBE technologies poses risks that may undermine the development of virtuous character.
  • * Further research is needed to reconcile technological advancements with the philosophical underpinnings of virtue ethics.