Philosophy and Technology 25 (4):485-493 (2012)
Authors |
|
Abstract |
Any serious ethical discussion of the enhancement of human nature must begin with a reasonably accurate picture of the causal-historical structure of the living world. In this Comment, I show that even biologically sophisticated ethical discussions of the biomedical enhancement of species and speciel natures are susceptible to the kind of essentialistic thinking that Lewens cautions against. Furthermore, I argue that the same evolutionary and developmental considerations that compel Lewens to reject more plausible conceptions of human nature pose equally serious problems for some prominent critiques of biomedical enhancement that presuppose the existence of a “given” biological potential that can be distorted by agentic cultural influences
|
Keywords | Enhancement Genetic engineering Human nature Lewens Sandel Species |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
ISBN(s) | |
DOI | 10.1007/s13347-012-0090-7 |
Options |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Download options
References found in this work BETA
A Radical Solution to the Species Problem.Michael T. Ghiselin - 1974 - Systematic Zoology 23:536-44.
Evolution, Population Thinking, and Essentialism.Elliott Sober - 1980 - Philosophy of Science 47 (3):350-383.
Embryology, Epigenesis and Evolution: Taking Development Seriously.Jason Scott Robert - 2004 - Cambridge University Press.
View all 16 references / Add more references
Citations of this work BETA
Why Should We Become Posthuman? The Beneficence Argument Questioned.Andrés Pablo Vaccari - 2019 - Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 44 (2):192-219.
Bridging Bioethics and Biology.Sune Holm - 2016 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 55:133-136.
Similar books and articles
Enhancement and Human Nature: The Case of Sandel.T. Lewens - 2009 - Journal of Medical Ethics 35 (6):354-356.
Reconceptualizing Human Nature: Response to Lewens. [REVIEW]Edouard Machery - 2012 - Philosophy and Technology 25 (4):475-478.
How Human Nature Can Inform Human Enhancement: A Commentary on Tim Lewens's Human Nature: The Very Idea.Grant Ramsey - 2012 - Philosophy and Technology 25 (4):479-483.
Genetic Enhancement, Human Nature, and Rights.T. Mcconnell - 2010 - Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 35 (4):415-428.
The Evolutionary Biological Implications of Human Genetic Engineering.Russell Powell - 2012 - Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 37 (1):22.
Is There a Problem with Enhancement?Frances M. Kamm - 2005 - American Journal of Bioethics 5 (3):5 – 14.
Can Human Genetic Enhancement Be Prohibited?William Gardner - 1995 - Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 20 (1):65-84.
Is Human Enhancement Also a Personal Matter?Vincent Menuz, Thierry Hurlimann & Béatrice Godard - 2013 - Science and Engineering Ethics 19 (1):161-177.
The Wisdom of Nature: An Evolutionary Heuristic for Human Enhancement.Nick Bostrom & Anders Sandberg - 2009 - In Julian Savulescu & Nick Bostrom (eds.), Human Enhancement. Oxford University Press. pp. 375--416.
Sartre on Human Nature: Humanness, Transhumanism and Performance-Enhancement.Leon Culbertson - 2011 - Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 5 (3):231 - 244.
Mastery Without Mystery: Why There is No Promethean Sin in Enhancement.Guy Kahane - 2011 - Journal of Applied Philosophy 28 (4):355-368.
Genetic Enhancement and Moral Attitudes Toward the Given.Terrance Mcconnell - 2011 - Journal of Applied Philosophy 28 (4):369-380.
Analytics
Added to PP index
2012-11-07
Total views
53 ( #216,137 of 2,520,807 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
4 ( #166,892 of 2,520,807 )
2012-11-07
Total views
53 ( #216,137 of 2,520,807 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
4 ( #166,892 of 2,520,807 )
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads