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Handbook of the Philosophy of Medicine pp 1–12Cite as

Changing Human Nature. The Ethical Challenge of Biotechnological Interventions on Humans

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Abstract

There is currently a prolific ethical debate about biotechnological interventions into human beings and the potential to alter the human organism, its functioning,, or genetic makeup. This article presents how such interventions can be seen as a challenge to concepts of “human nature” and reviews the different understandings of this notion. Representative of this debate is the ethical concern about “human enhancement interventions” that aim to improve human functioning beyond what can be considered as healthy or normal. The different ethical stances toward enhancement are presented.

Keywords

  • Human nature
  • Human enhancement
  • Biotechnology
  • Health
  • Normalcy
  • Psychopharmaceuticals
  • Prosthethics
  • Cosmetic surgery
  • Genetic interventions
  • Bioconservatives
  • Bioliberals
  • Biostatistical understanding of human nature

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Munich, Munich Center for Ethics, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539, Munich, Germany

    Jan-Christoph Heilinger

  2. University of Freiburg, Department of Philosophy & BrainLinks-BrainTools, Freiburg, Germany

    Oliver Müller

  3. University of Washington, Department of Philosophy, Seattle, WA, USA

    Matthew Sample

Authors
  1. Jan-Christoph Heilinger
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  2. Oliver Müller
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  3. Matthew Sample
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jan-Christoph Heilinger .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Philosophisches Seminar, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Thomas Schramme

  2. Philosophy, History and Law, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom

    Steven Edwards

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Heilinger, JC., Müller, O., Sample, M. (2015). Changing Human Nature. The Ethical Challenge of Biotechnological Interventions on Humans. In: Schramme, T., Edwards, S. (eds) Handbook of the Philosophy of Medicine. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8706-2_52-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8706-2_52-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-8706-2

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