Cargando…

A practical approach to the ethical use of memory modulating technologies

BACKGROUND: Recent advancements in neuroscientific techniques have allowed us to make huge progress in our understanding of memories, and in turn has paved the way for new memory modification technologies (MMTs) that can modulate memories with a degree of precision, which was not previously possible...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Tan, Shawn Zheng Kai, Lim, Lee Wei
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: BioMed Central 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7501599/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32948166
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12910-020-00532-z
_version_ 1783584060188131328
author Tan, Shawn Zheng Kai
Lim, Lee Wei
author_facet Tan, Shawn Zheng Kai
Lim, Lee Wei
author_sort Tan, Shawn Zheng Kai
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: Recent advancements in neuroscientific techniques have allowed us to make huge progress in our understanding of memories, and in turn has paved the way for new memory modification technologies (MMTs) that can modulate memories with a degree of precision, which was not previously possible. With advancements in such techniques, new and critical ethical questions have emerged. Understanding and framing these ethical questions within the current philosophical theories is crucial in order to systematically examine them as we translate these techniques to the clinic. MAIN BODY: In this paper, we discuss the ethical implications of modern neuroscience techniques that aim to disrupt or enhance memories. We attempt to frame the MMTs in the context of existing ethical philosophical theories to provide a cohesive analysis of the myriad of ethical quagmires that might emerge from such technologies. We argue the application of Aristotle’s Golden Mean and multiple accounts of authenticity are useful in approaching the ethical questions surrounding MMTs. We then propose a framework in which ethical considerations can be systematically examined. Lastly, we provide caveats and considerations for the use of this framework. Overall, we provide a practical approach for the ethical use of MMTs depending on the situation. CONCLUSION: While at face value, our model appears to put severe limitations on the application of MMTs, we are not completely opposed to their use, but rather our framework guides the agent to consider the implications before making any decisions. Most importantly, we argue that the use of MMTs does not reduce the responsibility of the initial decision, and the agent must accept the post-MMT self as the new “true self” regardless of the outcome. As the developmental trajectory of MMTs suggests we are getting closer to practical clinical applications, ethical concerns across a wide range of disciplines need to be addressed to develop best strategies and policies when dealing with MMTs. If this can be achieved, we believe the ethical use of MMTs is not only possible but would also be of tremendous benefit to many people suffering from memory-related mental disorders.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-7501599
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2020
publisher BioMed Central
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-75015992020-09-22 A practical approach to the ethical use of memory modulating technologies Tan, Shawn Zheng Kai Lim, Lee Wei BMC Med Ethics Debate BACKGROUND: Recent advancements in neuroscientific techniques have allowed us to make huge progress in our understanding of memories, and in turn has paved the way for new memory modification technologies (MMTs) that can modulate memories with a degree of precision, which was not previously possible. With advancements in such techniques, new and critical ethical questions have emerged. Understanding and framing these ethical questions within the current philosophical theories is crucial in order to systematically examine them as we translate these techniques to the clinic. MAIN BODY: In this paper, we discuss the ethical implications of modern neuroscience techniques that aim to disrupt or enhance memories. We attempt to frame the MMTs in the context of existing ethical philosophical theories to provide a cohesive analysis of the myriad of ethical quagmires that might emerge from such technologies. We argue the application of Aristotle’s Golden Mean and multiple accounts of authenticity are useful in approaching the ethical questions surrounding MMTs. We then propose a framework in which ethical considerations can be systematically examined. Lastly, we provide caveats and considerations for the use of this framework. Overall, we provide a practical approach for the ethical use of MMTs depending on the situation. CONCLUSION: While at face value, our model appears to put severe limitations on the application of MMTs, we are not completely opposed to their use, but rather our framework guides the agent to consider the implications before making any decisions. Most importantly, we argue that the use of MMTs does not reduce the responsibility of the initial decision, and the agent must accept the post-MMT self as the new “true self” regardless of the outcome. As the developmental trajectory of MMTs suggests we are getting closer to practical clinical applications, ethical concerns across a wide range of disciplines need to be addressed to develop best strategies and policies when dealing with MMTs. If this can be achieved, we believe the ethical use of MMTs is not only possible but would also be of tremendous benefit to many people suffering from memory-related mental disorders. BioMed Central 2020-09-18 /pmc/articles/PMC7501599/ /pubmed/32948166 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12910-020-00532-z Text en © The Author(s) 2020 Open AccessThis article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.
spellingShingle Debate
Tan, Shawn Zheng Kai
Lim, Lee Wei
A practical approach to the ethical use of memory modulating technologies
title A practical approach to the ethical use of memory modulating technologies
title_full A practical approach to the ethical use of memory modulating technologies
title_fullStr A practical approach to the ethical use of memory modulating technologies
title_full_unstemmed A practical approach to the ethical use of memory modulating technologies
title_short A practical approach to the ethical use of memory modulating technologies
title_sort practical approach to the ethical use of memory modulating technologies
topic Debate
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7501599/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32948166
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12910-020-00532-z
work_keys_str_mv AT tanshawnzhengkai apracticalapproachtotheethicaluseofmemorymodulatingtechnologies
AT limleewei apracticalapproachtotheethicaluseofmemorymodulatingtechnologies
AT tanshawnzhengkai practicalapproachtotheethicaluseofmemorymodulatingtechnologies
AT limleewei practicalapproachtotheethicaluseofmemorymodulatingtechnologies