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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Esta tese é sobre o neuroenhancement. Conceito de difícil definição e de uma compreensão que requer um revisitar da literatura e do desenvolvimento do cérebro e da mente. Um cérebro que mudou naturalmente ao longo dos anos e cuja evolução decorre agora de forma mais «acelerada», parecendo querer acompanhar o desenvolvimento vertiginoso da biotecnologia.
Desde os métodos mais “consensuais”, como a educação e a nutrição, passando pelos psicofármacos, até à neurocirurgia e aos dispositivos mais recentes de interface cérebro-máquina, o Homem tem vindo a modificar-se. Será o neuroenhancement ético?
Como forma de tentar responder à pergunta que é colocada descrevemos alguns casos clínicos da área da Psiquiatria, para os quais hipotetizamos que o neuroenhancement possa já estar presente, discutindo algumas questões clínicas e bioéticas que o dito fenómeno encerra. De entre estas, abordamos mais pormenorizadamente: a distinção entre tratamento e enhancement; a eficácia versus a segurança dos enhancements; o valor da ação humana; a autenticidade e a identidade; a liberdade e a autonomia; a «natureza humana», o «funcionamento normal» da espécie e o «enhancement moral»; a evolução natural versus a artificialização; a justiça e a equidade; o risco de coerção; e a visão teológico-filosófica, na assunção de que o Homem não deve assumir o papel de Deus. Outras situações clínicas, revestidas de um caráter mais “futurista”, são também analisadas tendo em conta os fármacos e outras técnicas em desenvolvimento que se prevê virem a desempenhar um papel importante na modificação cerebral. Abordamos também a possibilidade da evolução no sentido do pós-humano, com base na previsão das artes e no pensamento transhumanista e futurista de alguns autores, face às tecnologias mais recentes de enhancement cerebral.
Concluímos que o neuroenhancement já existe, faz parte do nosso quotidiano e, como tal, é meritório de uma maior atenção, sobretudo por parte da comunidade médica, das neurociências e da Bioética. E, por esse motivo, requer um envolvimento imediato dos diferentes profissionais que o estudam, praticam e avaliam e de todos os que possam ser afetados por ele, isto é, todos nós.
O neuroenhancement pode em várias circunstâncias ser ético, para além de se revelar necessário. É um fenómeno indissociável da evolução do Homem, prevendo-se que a evolução natural e artificial da mente irá, no futuro, minorar a importância da questão inicialmente colocada: o neuroenhancement é ético?
This thesis is about neuroenhancement. This concept is a very difficult one and requires a review of the literature of brain and mind development for its comprehension. A brain that has changed naturally over the years and whose evolution seems now more “accelerated”, seeming to follow the fast development of biotechnology. Since the more “consensual” methods, such as education and nutrition, through the psychiatric drugs, to neurosurgery and the latest brain-machine interface devices, Man has changed. Is neuroenhancement ethical? In an attempt to answer the question that is posed we describe some clinical psychiatric cases, for which we hypothesize that neuroenhancement may already be present, discussing some clinical and bioethical issues about this phenomenon. Of these, we discuss in more detail: the distinction between treatment and enhancement; efficacy vs. safety of enhancements; the value of human action; the authenticity and identity; freedom and autonomy; «human nature», the «normal» functioning of the species and the «moral enhancement»; the natural evolution vs. the artificiality; fairness and equity; the risk of coercion; and the theological-philosophical view, on the assumption that Man should not assume God’s role. Other conditions, coated over a “futuristic” character, are also examined, taking into account the drugs and other techniques in development that are expected to play an important role in brain modification. We also refer to the possibility of progress towards post-human, based on the prevision of the arts, and the transhumanist and futuristic thinking of some authors, given the latest technologies of brain enhancement. We conclude that neuroenhancement already exists, it is part of our daily lives and, as such, it is worthy of greater attention, especially from the medical community, neuroscience and Bioethics. And therefore, it requires the immediate involvement of different professionals who study, practice and value it, and of all the ones that could be affected by it, that is, all of us. Neuroenhancement may, in some circumstances be ethical as well as necessary. It is an inseparable phenomenon of Man´s evolution, and it is expected that the natural and artificial evolution of mind will, in the future, eliminate the importance of the question we first asked: is neuroenhancement ethical?
This thesis is about neuroenhancement. This concept is a very difficult one and requires a review of the literature of brain and mind development for its comprehension. A brain that has changed naturally over the years and whose evolution seems now more “accelerated”, seeming to follow the fast development of biotechnology. Since the more “consensual” methods, such as education and nutrition, through the psychiatric drugs, to neurosurgery and the latest brain-machine interface devices, Man has changed. Is neuroenhancement ethical? In an attempt to answer the question that is posed we describe some clinical psychiatric cases, for which we hypothesize that neuroenhancement may already be present, discussing some clinical and bioethical issues about this phenomenon. Of these, we discuss in more detail: the distinction between treatment and enhancement; efficacy vs. safety of enhancements; the value of human action; the authenticity and identity; freedom and autonomy; «human nature», the «normal» functioning of the species and the «moral enhancement»; the natural evolution vs. the artificiality; fairness and equity; the risk of coercion; and the theological-philosophical view, on the assumption that Man should not assume God’s role. Other conditions, coated over a “futuristic” character, are also examined, taking into account the drugs and other techniques in development that are expected to play an important role in brain modification. We also refer to the possibility of progress towards post-human, based on the prevision of the arts, and the transhumanist and futuristic thinking of some authors, given the latest technologies of brain enhancement. We conclude that neuroenhancement already exists, it is part of our daily lives and, as such, it is worthy of greater attention, especially from the medical community, neuroscience and Bioethics. And therefore, it requires the immediate involvement of different professionals who study, practice and value it, and of all the ones that could be affected by it, that is, all of us. Neuroenhancement may, in some circumstances be ethical as well as necessary. It is an inseparable phenomenon of Man´s evolution, and it is expected that the natural and artificial evolution of mind will, in the future, eliminate the importance of the question we first asked: is neuroenhancement ethical?