Open AccessHuman Enhancement in the EU
Author(s) -
Mirko Daniel Garasic
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of european studies/australian and new zealand journal of european studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1837-2147
pISSN - 1836-1803
DOI - 10.30722/anzjes.vol4.iss1.15128
Subject(s) - appeal , morality , politics , political science , strengths and weaknesses , european union , dimension (graph theory) , identity (music) , law and economics , state (computer science) , epistemology , law , positive economics , sociology , political economy , philosophy , economics , aesthetics , computer science , international trade , mathematics , algorithm , pure mathematics
Many academics in the Western world favour Human Enhancement (HE) with the motto: “if we can, we should.” It is hard to deny the appeal of the idea of sparing or ridding human beings of some of our “weaknesses.” This idea is instinctively appealing, but once certain factors are considered, the morality of such an approach becomes less convincing. This article analyses the political dimension of HE, defining whether or not the European Union (EU) has a common stance on the issue. If HE is morally condemned at a theoretical level, the practical question arises of whether the EU shares a moral stance on the issue. A positive answer to this question will help reinforce a European identity, whereas a negative one will push us to question its appropriateness and will help to provide the necessary tools to change the current state of affairs.