Human Enhancement Ethics Group

Western Michigan University is having a conference on human enhancement in the near future. You can read more about it here. The website has some interesting commentary by a few thinkers.

The Human Enhancement & Nanotechnology Conference focuses on the ethical, social, and related issues that arise in the application of nanotechnology to human enhancement. While nanotechnology is not the only technology that can be applied to human enhancement, it is and will be a core one; without it many current and future enhancements would not be possible. These technological possibilities will derive from many sources, especially nanoelectronics and nanomaterials.

As an example of an ethical issue, bionic limbs (e.g., for greater strength or vision) and neural chips implanted into one’s head (e.g., for on-demand access to the Internet and software applications) may give the individual significant advantages in many areas, from sports to jobs to academia. But these technologies may hold health risks—similar to steroid or Ritalin use for enhancement purposes, as distinct from therapy—as well as raise ethical concerns related to fairness, access, and general societal disruption. Therefore, it is no surprise that, on both sides of the debate, the ethics of human enhancement is believed to be the single most important issue in science & society in this century.

There is brief discussion of several topics including;

Human Enhancement & Military, Goggles vs. Implants: Why Cognitive Nanoethics Just Ain't in the Head

Nanotechnology, Enhancement, and Human Nature

Nietzsche and the Philosophical Underpinnings of Human Enhancement

Technoprogressive Policies to Ensure Enhancement Technologies are Safe and Accessible

Are We Playing God When Making Super Humans?