A Question From Umi

Do you see intellectual tweaking as different than cosmetic surgery or medicines?

Umi,

Some people might take mind-enhancing medication to conform to a harmful social conception of what they believe to be normal. Women who often choose to have expensive and painful cosmetic surgery to conform to a social ideal of feminine beauty. They don’t keep in mind that beauty norms for both men and women are very diverse. After all, people should be judged not by their physical appearances but by the content of their characters right? That may the case, but why should someone suffer and be scorned by society if she can overcome them with a nip here and a tuck there? The norms of society can, without a doubt, be questionable, but the suffering felt is often very real. However, should we respect the wishes of people who want to challenge norms they disagree with, and why should people be denied relief just because society’s values need to change?

Much like the person who wants physical changes, it will be a great day when people are allowed to take advantage of technologies that improve the cognitive functioning in their lives as well. However, there is no guarantee that everyone will use cognitive enhancements in the same ways. There are people who alter their bodies through cosmetic surgery to bring them closer to the norm, and there are people who alter their bodies with piercings and tattoos to make them more individually expressive. Can we imagine all of the unusual or unexpected ways that people might use mind-enhancing medication? We need to remember that the war on drugs is, for the most part, against a small minority of people who prefer to alter their consciousness in ways that society does not approve. One big caveat, used for a long period of time, a cognitive or memory-enhancing drug might cause people to remember too much detail, cluttering the brain, or it might make someone focus so much on the mechanics of what they are doing causing them to fail to adjust to changes happening around them.

Just a thought

Thanks for the great question!