An Aristotelian Approach to the Genetic Enhancement of Virtue

This article considers the question of the genetic enhancement of virtue from the standpoint of Aristotle's ethical theory. I argue that the direct genetic enhancement of Aristotelian virtue would not be possible, since virtue requires habituation. Nevertheless, Aristotle's view of the physiological preconditions for acquiring virtue entails that we could genetically enhance our receptivity for successful habituation into virtue. I caution against one danger for such attempts, which I call "the bigger they are the harder they fall" problem. I argue that Aristotle's emphasis on the indispensability of habituation for the acquisition of virtue means that genetic enhancement could be useful only within the context of a society of virtuous people who can already successfully bring up children into virtue. It is therefore unlikely to serve as a panacea for our woes if we begin with the premise that our society is in a crisis with respect to virtue.