Enhanced yet still in Control: Neuroenhancements in the Service of Autonomous Agency
摘要
The development of neuroenhancement technologies raises questions about their influence on an agent’s authenticity and autonomous agency, as well as the safeguards required to protect these capacities. The article distinguishes between cognitive and moral neuroenhancements, outlining their aims and the challenges in defining moral enhancement, particularly concerning its purpose and appropriate targets. I then examine how both forms of enhancement affect human agency, drawing on distinctions between authenticity and autonomy. While skeptics argue that neuroenhancements diminish achievement or disrupt identity, I claim that such concerns depend on how new traits are integrated into the agent’s cognitive and moral character. I argue that neuroenhancements can support autonomous agency when certain conditions are met, including reflective integration, ongoing informed consent, and safeguards ensuring control and reversibility. Despite persistent uncertainties, the paper concludes that properly governed neuroenhancement can contribute to autonomous agency.