Philosophy Cafe - Can biotechnology help us be more moral?

To err is human. But why are humans prone to errors, especially errors that have moral consequences? In recent years, philosophers have drawn on research from neuroscience, psychology, and anthropology to argue that moral imperfection has a biological basis. If moral emotions and moral judgments are influenced by biological factors, can biomedical technology be used to enhance moral behaviour? Some even argue that we ought to use such technologies to morally enhance all of humanity. In this talk, Dr Huang will discuss the idea of moral bio enhancement. Is it possible that certain bio enhancement could improve moral capacity while some could undermine moral agency?

Dr Pei-hua Huang is a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Adelaide. Before she joined the Department, she was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Erasmus Medical Centre, in the Netherlands. She’s interested in ethical and philosophical issues raised by novel medical technologies. Her work has been published in leading journals, including the Journal of Medical Ethics, Bioethics, and the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy.

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