Performance-enhancing technologies and moral responsibility in the military.
Author
Wolfendale, JDate
2008-02Source Title
The American Journal of BioethicsPublisher
Informa UK LimitedUniversity of Melbourne Author/s
WOLFENDALE, JESSICAAffiliation
Philosophy, Anthropology and Social InquiryMetadata
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Journal ArticleCitations
Wolfendale, J. (2008). Performance-enhancing technologies and moral responsibility in the military.. Am J Bioeth, 8 (2), pp.28-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/15265160802014969.Access Status
This item is currently not available from this repositoryDescription
C1 - Refereed Journal Article
Abstract
New scientific advances have created previously unheard of possibilities for enhancing combatants' performance. Future war fighters may be smarter, stronger, and braver than ever before. If these technologies are safe, is there any reason to reject their use? In this article, I argue that the use of enhancements is constrained by the importance of maintaining the moral responsibility of military personnel. This is crucial for two reasons: the military's ethical commitments require military personnel to be morally responsible agents, and moral responsibility is necessary for integrity and the moral emotions of guilt and remorse, both of which are important for moral growth and psychological well-being. Enhancements that undermined combatants' moral responsibility would therefore undermine the military's moral standing and would harm combatants' well-being. A genuine commitment to maintaining the military's ethical standards and the well-being of combatants therefore requires a careful analysis of performance-enhancing technologies before they are implemented.
Keywords
Applied EthicsExport Reference in RIS Format
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