ABSTRACT

Chapter 2 maps and analyses the oft en-occurring arguments in the ethics debate concerning human (mood) enhancement technologies. This debate concerns arguments with strong religious and ideological inklings (such as the unnaturalness concern, the playing god argument, medicalisation, the cheating argument, and the selfishness argument). These arguments sometimes have problems of a rhetorical nature, leaving the aim of their objection unclear. The rhetorical problems are not as such arguments but dimensions of ideological, religious and ethical issues, in that they sometimes are mixed and do not clarify whether they concern individuals or species.

Moreover, this debate also involves the arguments dealing with issues of justice, identity, autonomy, dignity, privacy, safety and prevention of harm in the context of human (mood) enhancement technologies. Following their analysis and evaluation, a dedicated section provides an integrated overview of how these arguments connect and overlap.

Mapping and analysis of the oft en-occurring arguments in the ethics debate concerning human (mood) enhancement technologies based on which normative recommendations are formulated for lawmaking and policymaking purposes are performed by applying the wide refl ective equilibrium method developed by John Rawls. The method consists of three levels of considerations that must be distinguished: descriptive and normative theories, moral principles and considered moral judgements. It will be assumed that the equilibrium exists when the three levels cohere and are mutually supportive.