對《我們能通過生物技術構建道德更為完善的人類嗎？》一文的評論

Essay Review: “Can We Biotechnologically Construct a Morally Better Human?"

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract in English.

Jason T. Eberl and Matilda Ajibola’s article “Can We Biotechnologically Construct a Morally Better Human?” offers profound insights grounded in virtue ethics, emphasising that moral improvement should rely on autonomy and practice. The authors’ proposition that traditional methods of moral enhancement hold advantages in terms of both ethical and practical feasibility is well taken. However, their proposed implementation of this approach appears conservative, as the article overlooks the potential of non- biotechnological tools such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality to supplement traditional moral cultivation. Furthermore, the authors propose an exception for bioenhancement in cases of “weakness of will” (akrasia). However, the ambiguous boundaries of this exception could lead to a “slippery slope” whereby the scope of intervention is expanded to the point at which technology gradually substitutes for the internal effort essential to moral growth. Overall, while the article constructs a solid ethical defence in theory, it falls short in demonstrating practical feasibility in an era of advanced technology.