Adina Roskies,
Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA
Many issues that are raised by neuroethics have counterparts in genethics. Because of the significant overlap in the two fields, research in genethics can be fruitfully applied to many questions in neuroethics.
For example, many issues regarding privacy and enhancement raised by neuroscientific technologies and knowledge have analogs in genethics, and our approaches to dealing with these neuroethical problems can be informed by current research in genethics. However, despite the many parallels between genethics and neuroethics, the two fields are not coextensive, for there are ethical issues raised by neuroscience, which cannot be informed by genethics.
For instance, some aspects of the ethical issues raised by cognitive enhancement and challenges to privacy seem to outstrip the issues raised by genetics. In addition, some areas of neuroethics seem to have no parallels in genethics. In particular, novel neuroethical issues arise when neuroscientific advances threaten to require revision of concepts intimately connected with our notions of personhood and humanity, including selfhood and personal identity, morality, and freedom.
As neuroscientific understanding evolves, we must expect many of our commonsense concepts to be informed – and possibly radically altered – by our scientific perspective. The changes engendered may significantly affect our view of ourselves and of our moral outlook. These areas therefore pose unique problems for neuroethics. |
