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The Ethics of Ability and Enhancement pp 173–196Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Cosmopolitan Moral Enhancement

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Part of the book series: Jepson Studies in Leadership ((JSL))

Abstract

Cosmopolitans think that we have demanding moral duties to foreigners. But ethnocentrism, xenophobia, and other aspects of human nature leads us to violate these duties. So, we should change human nature in a more cosmopolitan direction. In this essay, Javier Hidalgo makes the case for cosmopolitan moral enhancements—biomedical enhancements that dispose us to satisfy our obligations to out-groups. Hidalgo argues that we have strong moral reasons to develop and use cosmopolitan moral enhancements.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For examples of this critique, see: Barber (1996) and McConnell (1996). Versions of this critique can also be found in Miller (1995).

  2. 2.

    For a general defense of moral enhancement, see: Persson and Savulescu (2012).

  3. 3.

    For instance, see: Huemer (2010).

  4. 4.

    See: MacAskill (2015).

  5. 5.

    For evidence for these claims, see the overview from: Kinder and Kam (2009, chap. 1 and 2).

  6. 6.

    For his suggestion, see: Cabrera (2010).

  7. 7.

    Although this claim remains controversial. For discussion, see: Sidanius et al. (2006).

  8. 8.

    See also: Kandler et al. (2015).

  9. 9.

    This example is not science fiction. Some existing medications, such as Naltrexone, have these effects.

  10. 10.

    For instance, see: Buchanan (2013).

  11. 11.

    For a defense of these claims, see: Miller (1995).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA

    Javier Hidalgo

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  1. Javier Hidalgo
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA

    Jessica Flanigan

  2. Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA

    Terry L. Price

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Hidalgo, J. (2018). Cosmopolitan Moral Enhancement. In: Flanigan, J., Price, T. (eds) The Ethics of Ability and Enhancement. Jepson Studies in Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95303-5_10

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