Johann A R Roduit
University of Zurich, Switzerland, Institute of Biomedical Ethics, Department Member
- University of Calgary, Philosophy, Department MemberUniversity of Oxford, Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, Alumnusadd
- Human Enhancement, Bioethics, Virtue Ethics, Applied Ethics, Transhumanism/Posthumanism, Animal Uplift, and 31 moreBiomedical Ethics, International Relations, Transhumanism, Geopolitics, Emerging Technologies, Philosophy of Technology, Applied Philosophy, Human-Robot Interaction, Humanism, Anti-Humanism, and Post-Humanism, Embodiment, Bioethics, Death, Life extension, Critical Posthumanism, Posthumanist Ethics, Medical Ethics, Human enhancement debate, Posthumanism, Moral Enhancement, Philosophical Anthropology, Neuroethics, Cognitive Enhancement, Practical Ethics, Enhancement, Philosophy of Medicine, Ethics of Human Enhacement, Science and Technology Studies, Computer Networks, Databases, Software, Medical Humanities, Digital Media/Medical Humanities, and Big Data Ethicsedit
- I'm Johann Roduit, a bioethics expert turned innovation strategist. I use ethical thinking to shape the future. As a ... moreI'm Johann Roduit, a bioethics expert turned innovation strategist. I use ethical thinking to shape the future. As a founding partner at Conexkt, a certified B Corp innovation studio, I work to weave ethics into the heart of technological innovation and design. I aim to help clients imagine new futures and create positive community impacts.
In my previous life, I delved deep into academia, developing a comprehensive understanding of human enhancement ethics and transhumanism. Now, I apply this knowledge in the practical world of innovation and technology. The question that drives me is what it means to be human in a world that is constantly evolving due to technology.
Beyond the boardroom, I have a passion for science communication. I co-founded neurhone, an organization that inspires the public through events like TEDxMartigny and the Carnotzets Scientifiques. Currently, I'm also involved in several SciComm projects, including TEDxAbbotsford.
As a regular columnist, I enjoy sharing my thoughts with a wider audience. I invite you to join me in shaping a more ethical and innovative future!edit
Recent technological progresses have made technological modifications of human beings a real possibility. Many normal traits may be artificially enhanced. Sooner or latter, individuals will have the possibility to exchange their healthy... more
Recent technological progresses have made technological modifications of human beings a real possibility. Many normal traits may be artificially enhanced. Sooner or latter, individuals will have the possibility to exchange their healthy limbs and organs for better artificial ones and transplantations of human brains into artificial carriers are already under study. Therefore, socio-ethical issues related to human enhancement have started to be seriously considered by scholars around the world. While such a technological revolution concerns the society as a whole, debates addressing the socio-ethical issues related to human enhancement have mainly been restricted to academics. Lay people are largely unaware of the discussions. The objective of this book is to inform lay people of the already existing and potential future possibilities to enhance humans through emerging technologies as well as the socio-ethical issues that are already raised by such technological modifications. This book constitutes a first step to encourage democratic and interdisciplinary involvement and discussion about some of the socio-ethical issues related to the technological modifications of human beings. Enjoy your journey through the augmented world ! http://future-human.life
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The author critically examines what role the notion of perfection should play in the debate regarding the ethics of human enhancement. He argues that the concept of «human perfection» needs to be central when morally assessing human... more
The author critically examines what role the notion of perfection should play in the debate regarding the ethics of human enhancement. He argues that the concept of «human perfection» needs to be central when morally assessing human enhancements. This anthropological ideal provides an additional norm to evaluate enhancing interventions, extending the well-established bioethical principles of autonomy, justice, and safety.
Research Interests: Bioethics, Capability Approach, Transhumanism, Human Enhancement, Transhumanism/Posthumanism, and 7 moreMartha Nussbaum's theory of human capabilities, Capabilities Approach, Capabilities, Human Capability approach, Human enhancement debate, Is Human Enhancement Considered Cheating, and Bioethics of human enhancement
It is a fundamental duty of neuroscientists to discuss the results of research and related ethical implications. Engagement with neuroscience is especially critical for families with children affected by disorders such as drug resistant... more
It is a fundamental duty of neuroscientists to discuss the results of research and related ethical implications. Engagement with neuroscience is especially critical for families with children affected by disorders such as drug resistant epilepsy (DRE) as they navigate complex decisions about innovations in treatment that increasingly include invasive neurotechnologies. Through an evidence-based, iterative, and value-guided approach, we created the short-form documentary film, Seizing Hope: High Tech Journeys in Pediatric Epilepsy, to delve into the relationship between experts with first-hand, lived experience – youth with DRE and caregivers – and physician experts as they weigh medical and ethical trade-offs on this landscape. We describe the co-creation and evolution of this film, screenings, and feedback. Survey responses from 385 viewers highlight new developments in technologies for the treatment of DRE, how families navigate choices for treatment with brain technology, and a sense of hope for the future for children with epilepsy as key attributes of this science communication piece.
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The dream of an artificial intelligence capable of assisting us with our most repetitive tasks is a compelling vision of our fantasy. Yet, its negative pole, symbolized by an intelligence that could dominate us as humans, is also present.... more
The dream of an artificial intelligence capable of assisting us with our most repetitive tasks is a compelling vision of our fantasy. Yet, its negative pole, symbolized by an intelligence that could dominate us as humans, is also present. This is perhaps the most relevant mission we have today: to avoid allowing these two poles to influence the debates on AI too much. Because the real challenges will not come tomorrow, they are already there.
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We already live fully in a world of human advancement. Thousands of startups and companies are looking to improve human performance. Functional food, robotics, gene therapy, artificial intelligence: entire economic sectors are focused on... more
We already live fully in a world of human advancement. Thousands of startups and companies are looking to improve human performance. Functional food, robotics, gene therapy, artificial intelligence: entire economic sectors are focused on this ambition for improvement. These economic sectors are at the heart of the ethical ambivalence that marks innovation. They carry enormous hopes, while facing serious ethical risks. They confront societies with fundamental questions.
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In the debate addressing socio-ethical issues related to human enhancement, some have suggested that technological modifications of individuals could vastly increase diversity between them. This article argues the contrary. In this... more
In the debate addressing socio-ethical issues related to human enhancement, some have suggested that technological modifications of individuals could vastly increase diversity between them. This article argues the contrary. In this thought experiment, we argue that if—as some have argued—we have a moral obligation to use technology to enhance humans and other species, and if such enhancement is understood as improving particular traits only, it might artificially make all the species in the world converge toward a specific one, which we have named the last universal common descendant. In this reductio ad absurdum, we suggest that this argument could be used to challenge the idea that it would be morally good to enhance humans and other species without considering their species limitations.
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The ethics of human enhancement has been a hotly debated topic in the last 15 years. In this debate, some advocate examining science fiction stories to elucidate the ethical issues regarding the current phenomenon of human enhancement.... more
The ethics of human enhancement has been a hotly debated topic in the last 15 years. In this debate, some advocate examining science fiction stories to elucidate the ethical issues regarding the current phenomenon of human enhancement. Stories from science fiction seem well suited to analyze biomedical advances, providing some possible case studies. Of particular interest is the work of screenwriter Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, S1m0ne, In Time, and Good Kill), which often focuses on ethical questions raised by the use of new technologies. Examining the movie In Time (2011), the aim of this paper is to show how science fiction can contribute to the ethical debate of human enhancement. In Time provides an interesting case study to explore what could be some of the consequences of radical life-extension technologies. In this paper, we will show how arguments regarding radical life-extension portrayed in this particular movie differ from what is found in the scientific literature. We will see how In Time gives flesh to arguments defending or rejecting radical life-extension. It articulates feelings of unease, alienation and boredom associated with this possibility. Finally, this article will conclude that science fiction movies in general, and In Time in particular, are a valuable resource for a broad and comprehensive debate about our coming future.
Research Interests: Bioethics, Posthumanism, Medical Humanities, Science Fiction, Critical Posthumanism, and 12 moreScience Fiction Film, Transhumanism, Human Enhancement, Transhumanism/Posthumanism, Movies, Immortality, Biological Immortality, Aging and Longevity, Human enhancement debate, Human Performance Enhancement, Posthumanism and Transhumanism, and Andrew Niccol
Le premier Homme qui vivra mille ans est né. C’est du moins l’avis du scientifique transhumaniste Aubrey de Grey. Déclaration qui semble sans doute un peu loufoque pour certains. Déclaration néanmoins prise très au sérieux dans le débat... more
Le premier Homme qui vivra mille ans est né. C’est du moins l’avis du scientifique transhumaniste Aubrey de Grey. Déclaration qui semble sans doute un peu loufoque pour certains. Déclaration néanmoins prise très au sérieux dans le débat académique concernant les questions éthiques de l’augmentation de l’humain, comme le démontre la récente présentation de Vincent Menuz au TEDxMartigny de cette année. Cependant, De Grey ne se doutait sûrement pas que le premier Homme augmenté serait en fait une femme. Qui plus est Valaisanne. Dans son nouveau spectacle Imagine+, la comédienne Sandrine Viglino se questionne sur l’augmentation de l’être humain, ainsi que sur le transhumanisme. Elle se présente comme la première femme qui va vivre mille ans.
When considering the use of enhancement in the world of sport, we should contemplate not only the enhancement of particular traits, but also that of the athlete (as a human) as a whole. In most sports, we are interested in comparing the... more
When considering the use of enhancement in the world of sport, we should contemplate not only the enhancement of particular traits, but also that of the athlete (as a human) as a whole. In most sports, we are interested in comparing the fastest human performance and not the fastest performance. There can be room for both types of sports, but each will give different expectations, rules, limits, and kinds of participants in the endeavour. This paper argues that the underlying question of what it means to be human needs to be central in the context of enhancement in sport.
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Die «Medical Humanities» sind ein Feld, dem in letzter Zeit zunehmend Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet wird, sowohl in der Aus-, Fort- und Weiterbildung als auch in der Forschung. Mit den Erkenntnissen und technischen Möglichkeiten im Bereich der... more
Die «Medical Humanities» sind ein Feld, dem in letzter Zeit zunehmend Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet wird, sowohl in der Aus-, Fort- und Weiterbildung als auch in der Forschung. Mit den Erkenntnissen und technischen Möglichkeiten im Bereich der Medizin und der Biowissenschaften wächst zugleich der Bedarf an kritischer Reflexion, sei es aus ethischer, historischer, sozial- oder kulturwissenschaftlicher Perspektive. Der wachsenden Bedeutung wird durch eine verstärkte Institutionalisierung Rechnung getragen.
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L’augmentation de l’Homme grâce aux nouvelles technologies suscite de grandes inquiétudes et questions éthiques. Voici mes pistes de réflexions sur ce thème.
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Whatever ethical stance one takes in the debate regarding the ethics of human enhancement, one or more reference points are required to assess its morality. Some have suggested looking at the bioethical notions of safety, justice, and/or... more
Whatever ethical stance one takes in the debate regarding the ethics of human enhancement, one or more reference points are required to assess its morality. Some have suggested looking at the bioethical notions of safety, justice, and/or autonomy to find such reference points. Others, arguing that those notions are limited with respect to assessing the morality of human enhancement, have turned to human nature, human authenticity, or human dignity as reference points, thereby introducing some perfectionist assumptions into the debate. In this article, we ask which perfectionist assumptions should be used in this debate. After a critique of views that are problematic, we take a positive approach, suggesting some perfectionist elements that can lend guidance to the practice of human enhancement, based on the work of Martha Nussbaum's Capability Approach. We suggest that the central capabilities can be used to define the human aspect of human enhancement and thereby allow a moral evaluation of enhancement interventions. These central capabilities can be maximized harmoniously to postulate what an ideal human would look like. Ultimately, the aim of this article is twofold. First, it seeks to make explicit the perfectionist assumptions found in the debate and eliminate those that are problematic. Second, the paper clarifies an element that is often neglected in the debate about human enhancement, the view of the ideal human towards which human enhancement should strive. Here, we suggest that some central capabilities that are essential for an ideal human being can be maximized harmoniously and can therefore serve as possible reference points to guide human enhancement.
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Si vous aviez la possibilité d'utiliser des technologies pour dépasser les limites de vos corps et esprits, le feriez-vous? Et si oui, dans quels buts? C'est, en substance, la question que nous avons posée à une cinquantaine d'étudiants,... more
Si vous aviez la possibilité d'utiliser des technologies pour dépasser les limites de vos corps et esprits, le feriez-vous? Et si oui, dans quels buts? C'est, en substance, la question que nous avons posée à une cinquantaine d'étudiants, lors du lancement du projet superhumains.ch: the next generations.
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Is it necessary to have an ideal of perfection in mind to identify and evaluate true biotechnological human “enhancements”, or can one do without? To answer this question we suggest employing the distinction between ideal and non-ideal... more
Is it necessary to have an ideal of perfection in mind to identify and evaluate true biotechnological human “enhancements”, or can one do without? To answer this question we suggest employing the distinction between ideal and non-ideal theory, found in the debate in political philosophy about theories of justice: the distinctive views about whether one needs an idea of a perfectly just society or not when it comes to assessing the current situation and recommending steps to increase justice. In this paper we argue that evaluating human enhancements from a non-ideal perspective has some serious shortcomings, which can be avoided when endorsing an ideal approach. Our argument starts from a definition of human enhancement as improvement, which can be understood in two ways. The first approach is backward-looking and assesses improvements with regard to a status quo ante. The second, a forward-looking approach, evaluates improvements with regard to their proximity to a goal or according to an ideal. After outlining the limitations of an exclusively backward-looking view (non-ideal theory), we answer possible objections against a forward-looking view (ideal theory). Ultimately, we argue that the human enhancement debate would lack some important moral insights if a forward-looking view of improvement is not taken into consideration.
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L’objectif de cet article est d’explorer la manière dont les transhumanistes essaient de répondre aux questions environnementales de notre époque. Pour cela, nous avons non seulement sélectionné et analysé certains textes... more
L’objectif de cet article est d’explorer la manière dont les transhumanistes essaient de répondre aux questions environnementales de notre époque. Pour cela, nous avons non seulement sélectionné et analysé certains textes «transhumanistes», mais également invité certains militants transhumanistes à réagir aux textes en question, lors d’entretiens récents. Nous montrons qu’en l’espèce il n’y a pas une pensée transhumanisme homogène, mais bien des pensées transhumanistes. Les transhumanismes diffèrent non seulement sur la façon d’agir et de réagir face aux problèmes écologiques, mais ne s’entendent également pas sur les responsabilités, sur le rôle de l’humain dans la déplétion des ressources naturelles et le réchauffement climatique.
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Both, bioconservatives and bioliberals, should seek a discussion about ideas of human perfection, making explicit their underlying assumptions about what makes for a good human life. This is relevant, because these basic, and often... more
Both, bioconservatives and bioliberals, should seek a discussion about ideas of human perfection, making explicit their underlying assumptions about what makes for a good human life. This is relevant, because these basic, and often implicit ideas, inform and influence judgements and choices about human enhancement interventions. Both neglect, and polemical but inconsistent use of the complex ideas of perfection are leading to confusion within the ethical debate about human enhancement interventions, that can be avoided by tackling the notion of perfection directly. In the recent debates, bioconservatives have prominently argued against the ‘pursuit of perfection’ by biotechnological means. In the first part of this paper, we show that—paradoxically—bioconservatives themselves explicitly embrace specific conceptions of human perfection and perfectionist assumptions about the good human life in order to argue against the use of enhancement technologies. Yet, we argue that the bioconservative position contains an untenable ambiguity between criticising and endorsing ideas of human perfection. Hence, they stand in need of clarifying their stance on human perfection. In the second part of the paper, we ask whether bioliberals in fact (implicitly) advocate a particular conception of perfection, or whether they are right in holding that they do not, and that discussing perfection is obsolete anyway. We show that bioliberals also rely on a specific idea of human perfection, based on the idea of autonomy. Hence, their denial of the relevance of perfection in the debate is unconvincing and has to be revised.
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In his latest book, Harari makes a convincing case that modernity leads us to believe that humans will become (or already are) useless algorithms.
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John Harris’ newest book examines the ethics of moral enhancement. The book focuses on whether new biotechnological interventions on our brain could be used as a means to moral enhancement. Put it simply, could we just take a pill to... more
John Harris’ newest book examines the ethics of moral enhancement. The book focuses on whether new biotechnological interventions on our brain could be used as a means to moral enhancement. Put it simply, could we just take a pill to become morally better? For Harris, this raises important questions regarding the role our “freedom to fall” plays in our understanding of morality, and whether these sort of moral bioenhancements are truly enhancements or only a threat to human freedom. Harris suggests the later. For him, moral bioenhancements do not allow us to remain “masters of our fate, entities which create ourselves by decisions and actions”.
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In Truly Human Enhancement: A Philosophical Defense of Limits, Nicholas Agar contributes once more to the debate regarding the ethics of human enhancement, after his 2004 and 2010 books, Liberal Eugenics and Humanity’s End. The main... more
In Truly Human Enhancement: A Philosophical Defense of Limits, Nicholas Agar contributes once more to the debate regarding the ethics of human enhancement, after his 2004 and 2010 books, Liberal Eugenics and Humanity’s End. The main thesis of Truly Human Enhancement is that it is important to take into consideration the “significance of differences in degree of human enhancement… human enhancement is a good thing, but one that it’s possible to have too much of it”. The author endorses moderate enhancements, while rejecting radical enhancements. The focus of the book on the degree of enhancement—not merely the mean or the goal of enhancement—is the novelty here. This means that Agar embraces some technological progress to a degree, within some limits. He illustrates his position using the imagery found in the movie Star Trek, “Here, recognizable human beings use fabulous technologies to travel the universe. They view these technologies very different from the way they view their brains and bodies. The technologies that transport humans across the universe are radically improved. Human brains and bodies are recognizes as grounds of valuable experiences and are preserved”. For the purpose of this review, I will briefly comment on the notion of radical enhancement and then focus on the idea introduced in this book that two ideals drive the enhancement enterprise.
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The Ethics of the New Eugenics, commissioned by the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics and authored by Calum MacKellar and Christopher Betchel, is an ethical evaluation of new eugenic procedures and their legal implications
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Book review (in French) of Frankenstein’s Cat. Cuddling up to Biotech’s Brave New Beasts. New York: Scientific American / Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2013. 256 pages, hardcover, 26 USD. ISBN 978-0-3741-5859-0
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Simon Sinek argues that we should start with Why. In the age of automation, we think we should prioritize the Who, from which everything else stems.
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Alain Dubois is the Head of the State Archives of the canton of Valais, and founder of the Sion Time Machine project. Dr. Johann Roduit is the founder of Conexkt – Innovation Studio. Together they present the Sion Time Machine project: an... more
Alain Dubois is the Head of the State Archives of the canton of Valais, and founder of the Sion Time Machine project. Dr. Johann Roduit is the founder of Conexkt – Innovation Studio. Together they present the Sion Time Machine project: an initiative that aims to create a digital twin of the city of Sion, in Switzerland, in the same vein as the Venice Time Machine.
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Alain Dubois est archiviste cantonal à l’Etat du Valais. Il est l’initiateur du projet Sion Time Machine et Johann Roduit, Dr. en bioéthique, est fondateur de Conexkt - Innovation studio. Ils présentent le projet Sion Time Machine, qui... more
Alain Dubois est archiviste cantonal à l’Etat du Valais. Il est l’initiateur du projet Sion Time Machine et Johann Roduit, Dr. en bioéthique, est fondateur de Conexkt - Innovation studio. Ils présentent le projet Sion Time Machine, qui envisage, dans la veine de la Venice Time Machine, la création d’un digital twin (jumeau numérique) de la ville valaisanne.
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Réagissant à une publicité qui tourne en dérision l’esprit d’innovation, Johann Roduit, fondateur de Conexkt - Innovation Studio, prône un changement de mentalité envers la prise de risque et l’acceptation de l’échec
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OPINION. Avec le renouvellement de notre Constitution, nous pouvons faire figure de pionniers et être acteur de la révolution numérique, estime Johann Roduit, co-initiant de l’Appel citoyen en Valais
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Examining how stories can enrich the ethical discourse, especially in a posthuman world. All of this on the occasion of the 50th birthday of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
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Science-Fiction in Literatur und Film kann uns Impulse geben, eine post-humane Ethik zu entwickeln, sagt Johann Roduit. Zum 50. Geburtstag des Filmes «2001: A Space Odyssey» hat der UZH-Ethiker eine Veranstaltungsreihe lanciert.
Research Interests: Future Studies, Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, Bioethics, and 18 morePosthumanism, Medical Humanities, Science Fiction, Critical Posthumanism, Science Fiction Film, Transhumanism, Posthumanist Ethics, Futures Studies, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Human Enhancement, Stanley Kubrick, Transhumanism/Posthumanism, Futures Studies and Foresight, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick, Human enhancement debate, Posthumanism and Transhumanism, and Stanely Kubrick
In this short Op-ed, we want to raise the question whether sport should also be part of medical humanities. The hope of this text is to open a well needed discussion not only about the role of sport in medical humanities, but also... more
In this short Op-ed, we want to raise the question whether sport should also be part of medical humanities. The hope of this text is to open a well needed discussion not only about the role of sport in medical humanities, but also regarding the role of medical humanities in medical education.
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A l’ère de l’Homme augmenté, nous assistons à une individualisation des responsabilités et à une diminution de la solidarité entre individus. Pourtant, ce qui fait la force de l’humanité, c’est sa capacité à coopérer.
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Dans votre article «La vie éternelle est-elle vraiment intéressante?» (LT du 16.11.2016), la notion d’immortalité prête à confusion. Elle est souvent utilisée à tort dans ce débat, y compris par Ray Kurzweil (voir aussi «Google fait le... more
Dans votre article «La vie éternelle est-elle vraiment intéressante?» (LT du 16.11.2016), la notion d’immortalité prête à confusion. Elle est souvent utilisée à tort dans ce débat, y compris par Ray Kurzweil (voir aussi «Google fait le pari de l’immortalité», LT du 24.01.2014). En effet, la plupart des transhumanistes préfèrent parler d’«allongement radical de la durée de vie» et non pas d’immortalité. Ils préfèrent parler d’amortalité: vivre plus longtemps en bonne santé, en essayant de ralentir, stopper, voire même d'inverser les effets du vieillissement.
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Face à différentes singularités technologiques, sécuriser un revenu de base inconditionnel pour tous prendrait tout son sens, estime Johann Roduit, Managing Director du Centre d’Humanités Médicales de l’Université de Zurich
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Quelles limites poser à l’amélioration humaine? Un débat au cœur duquel règne une question centrale: qu’est-ce que l’être humain?
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A propos de la conférence «Global Future 2045», New York, juin 2013.
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La Coupe du monde est l’occasion de réfléchir au rapport entre la science et le sport. La technologie est déjà omniprésente dans le stade et dans l’univers des joueurs, mais en toute discrétion, comme si c’était gênant de le reconnaître
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Les révélations d’Edward Snowden laissent peut-être présager des bouleversements technologiques inouïs, ce que les spécialistes nomment la «singularité technologique».
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Les nouvelles technologies émergentes promettent une révolution du corps et de l’esprit humains: soldats aux forces décuplées, citoyens plus performants intellectuellement, etc. Par-delà les craintes suscitées par ces recherches, la... more
Les nouvelles technologies émergentes promettent une révolution du corps et de l’esprit humains: soldats aux forces décuplées, citoyens plus performants intellectuellement, etc. Par-delà les craintes suscitées par ces recherches, la compétition mondiale est déjà engagée.
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Johann Roduit, doctorant en droit et éthique biomédicale à Zurich, démontre que l’apport des nouvelles technologies robotiques doit être mesuré dans son potentiel d’amélioration, au sens très large, ce qui demande de prendre en compte la... more
Johann Roduit, doctorant en droit et éthique biomédicale à Zurich, démontre que l’apport des nouvelles technologies robotiques doit être mesuré dans son potentiel d’amélioration, au sens très large, ce qui demande de prendre en compte la nature de l’être humain
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Vincent Menuz et Johann Roduit, tous deux éthiciens, poursuivent le dialogue avec Samia Hurst, bioéthicienne à l’Université de Genève, qui avait critiqué dans nos colonnes leur lecture du dilemme auquel est confrontée la Cour européenne... more
Vincent Menuz et Johann Roduit, tous deux éthiciens, poursuivent le dialogue avec Samia Hurst, bioéthicienne à l’Université de Genève, qui avait critiqué dans nos colonnes leur lecture du dilemme auquel est confrontée la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme dans une affaire d’avortement sélectif
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Vincent Menuz et Johann Roduit, tous deux éthiciens, commentent le dilemme auquel est confrontée la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme
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La modification génétique de souris pour élargir leurs compétences anticipe des applications sur l’être humain. Les bénéfices thérapeutiques à attendre de ces expériences ouvrent des questions vertigineuses. Le super-homme de demain... more
La modification génétique de souris pour élargir leurs compétences anticipe des applications sur l’être humain. Les bénéfices thérapeutiques à attendre de ces expériences ouvrent des questions vertigineuses. Le super-homme de demain sera-t-il forcément un guerrier invincible ou saura-t-il s’épanouir?
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Johann Roduit, éthicien, apporte des pistes de réflexion dans le cadre d’une polémique récente sur «l’avortement post-natal»
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Some reflections on human enhancement, transhumanism, AI, radical life-extension, and immortality
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This poem reflects on the possibility of human enhancement. It shows that if enhancements are embraced step-by-step, without any long-term vision, one might get lost along the way.
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Fin 2012, le monde anticipait l’apocalypse Maya. Cela m’a rappelé la prédiction d’un autre type de bouleversement : la singularité technologique. Un événement lors duquel une intelligence artificielle surpasserait l’intelligence humaine.... more
Fin 2012, le monde anticipait l’apocalypse Maya. Cela m’a rappelé la prédiction d’un autre type de bouleversement : la singularité technologique. Un événement lors duquel une intelligence artificielle surpasserait l’intelligence humaine. J’ai donc décidé d’écrire un texte décrivant une évolution technologique qui nous amènerait vers cette singularité. Est-ce un texte de science-fiction ? Au lecteur de décider.
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Ethiker Johann Roduit über eine Gesellschaft, in der es mehr ums Teilen als um Wettbewerb geht.
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Gehört die Zukunft den Cyborgs und intelligenten Maschinen? Der Literaturwissenschaftler Philipp Theisohn und der Ethiker Johann Roduit über die Weiterentwicklung des Menschen und unserer Gesellschaft. 60 UZH magazin 2/18
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Interview pour le magazine "Apunto - Revue des membres Employés Suisse"
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Interview for the Swiss-German newspaper NZZ am Sonntag regarding the ethics of human enhancement
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Artificial heart, brain implant and even bionic eye… Merging technology with the body has given rise to several issues. This is the combination of nanotechnologies, technologies, information technologies and cognitive sciences (NBIC)... more
Artificial heart, brain implant and even bionic eye… Merging technology with the body has given rise to several issues. This is the combination of nanotechnologies, technologies, information technologies and cognitive sciences (NBIC) which enable us to “fix” human’s abilities and to improve them. The debate precisely lies in the boundary of these two notions. What has been made ? Where are we going ? What are the limits ? These are all the questions that researchers and scientists from around the world are studying in order to know how tomorrow’s human will look like.
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Coeur artificiel, implants cérébraux ou encore œil bionique… La fusion entre la technologie et le corps donne lieu à de nombreux questionnements. C’est la combinaison des nanotechnologies, des biotechnologies, de l’informatique et des... more
Coeur artificiel, implants cérébraux ou encore œil bionique… La fusion entre la technologie et le corps donne lieu à de nombreux questionnements. C’est la combinaison des nanotechnologies, des biotechnologies, de l’informatique et des sciences cognitives (les NBIC) qui nous donne aujourd’hui la possibilité de « réparer » les capacités humaines, mais aussi de les améliorer. Le débat se trouve justement à la frontière de ces deux notions. Alors, où en est-on ? Vers où va t-on ? Quelle est la limite ? Autant de réflexions sur lesquelles se penchent chercheurs et scientifiques du monde entier afin de déterminer à quoi ressemblera l’homme de demain.
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Ces penseurs veulent dépasser la condition humaine. Leurs idées inspirent Google
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Améliorer les performances ou la santé d’une personne avec un œil bionique ou un oreiller high-tech comporte-t-il des risques pour l’être humain et la société? Interview
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""Human enhancement technologies: pushing the boundaries."
Organised by: Swiss Reinsurance Company
Video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BXReSlr4zU and http://cgd.swissre.com/library/Keytakeaways_HumanEnhancement.html
Organised by: Swiss Reinsurance Company
Video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BXReSlr4zU and http://cgd.swissre.com/library/Keytakeaways_HumanEnhancement.html
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A review of Truly Human Enhancement by N. Agar (MIT Press 2014)
- Presented at The American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division, Eighty-ninth annual meeting (April 1, 2015).
- Presented at The American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division, Eighty-ninth annual meeting (April 1, 2015).
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This doctoral dissertation critically examines what role, if any, the notion of perfection should play in the debate regarding the ethics of human enhancement. After distinguishing between the concept of perfection and different... more
This doctoral dissertation critically examines what role, if any, the notion of perfection should play in the debate regarding the ethics of human enhancement. After distinguishing between the concept of perfection and different conceptions of perfection, I first argue that the concept of perfection is unavoidable in this debate, as the notion of human enhancement itself is interconnected with the notion of human perfection. This invites the further question of what particular conception of perfection should be used in the debate; and in what ways. After dismissing various problematic possibilities, I conclusively defend the idea that the best view of human perfection should fulfill certain criteria: it should be an objective ideal, not holding a fixed view of what a human being ought to be, in order to allow room for pluralism and political deliberation, while giving guidance, not only restrictions, to the practice of human enhancement. I show here how Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities approach fulfills these requirements and can be used to morally assess human enhancement, in addition to other bioethical standards such as safety, justice, and autonomy. This research finds itself, therefore, in a balanced position between the so-called bioconservative stance, which use some particular conceptions of perfection to argue against human enhancement, and the so-called bioliberal view, which also, at times, use some specific conceptions of perfection (or as I will further illustrate: some particular perfectionist notions of what it means to live a good life), in order to argue in favor of human enhancement. This thesis surprisingly demonstrates that a particular conception of human perfection – based on a harmonized combination of Nussbaum’s central capabilities – is in some cases for human enhancement, and in other circumstances against it. In other words, this conception of human perfection helps us to distinguish between true human enhancement and so-called dis-enhancement.
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L’objectif du projet de communication scientifique «Superhumains.ch » est d’informer et de dialoguer avec des collégiens et des étudiants professionnels sur les questions bioéthiques concernant l’utilisation des technologies émergentes... more
L’objectif du projet de communication scientifique «Superhumains.ch » est d’informer et de dialoguer avec des collégiens et des étudiants professionnels sur les questions bioéthiques concernant l’utilisation des technologies émergentes sur les êtres humains. Les récents progrès technologiques permettent de plus en plus de modifier technologiquement l’être humain. Beaucoup de « traits normaux » peuvent être artificiellement « améliorés ». Par conséquent, les questions éthiques de l’amélioration humaine ont commencé à être sérieusement prises au sérieux par les chercheurs du monde entier dans le milieu académique. Bien qu’une telle révolution technologique concerne la société dans son ensemble, les débats portant sur ces questions sont souvent limités au monde universitaire. Bien que le grand public soit souvent informé à travers les médias sur l’emploi de ces technologies émergentes, il est peu conscient des discussions portant sur ces questions et n’est pas nécessairement équipé pour participer pleinement aux discussions. L'objectif de « Superhumains.ch » est donc de créer un dialogue avec trois classes de collégiens et d'étudiants professionnels afin d’analyser ces questions d’amélioration humaine en réfléchissant et dialoguant avec des experts dans des groupes de travail. La première étape du projet consiste à dialoguer et informer les participants sur les possibilités présentes et futures de modifications technologiques de l’être humain. La deuxième étape consiste à leur donner des outils conceptuels qui leur permettront de construire de solides arguments afin de répondre aux questions concernant l’amélioration humaine. La troisième étape donne aux participants l'occasion de partager leur réflexion à un plus large public à travers une exposition et une présentation de leurs projets.
(1) Ce texte a été repris et adapté de la présentation du projet sur le site du FNS: http://p3.snf.ch/Project-151527
(1) Ce texte a été repris et adapté de la présentation du projet sur le site du FNS: http://p3.snf.ch/Project-151527
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Whatever ethical stance one takes in the debate regarding the ethics of human enhancement, one or more reference points are required in order to assess the morality of human enhancement. Some have suggested looking at the bioethical... more
Whatever ethical stance one takes in the debate regarding the ethics of human enhancement, one or more reference points are required in order to assess the morality of human enhancement. Some have suggested looking at the bioethical notions of safety, justice, and/or autonomy to find such reference points. Others, arguing that those bioethical notions are limited when it comes to assess the morality of human enhancement have turned to human nature, human authenticity, or human dignity as reference points; therefore introducing some perfectionist assumptions in the debate.
In this paper, I ask which perfectionist assumptions should be used in this debate. After a critique of views that are problematic, I suggest some perfectionist elements that can lend guidance to the practice of human enhancement, based on the work of Martha Nussbaum’s Capability Approach (CA). I submit here that the basic capabilities outlined in her work can be used to define the human aspect of human enhancement and therefore guide human enhancement. More precisely, these basic capabilities can be maximized in order to postulate what would an ideal human look like. After outlining different reasons to use the CA in the debate, I then look at four practical examples of human enhancement, illustrating how the CA can help assess the morality of specific human enhancement.
In this paper, I ask which perfectionist assumptions should be used in this debate. After a critique of views that are problematic, I suggest some perfectionist elements that can lend guidance to the practice of human enhancement, based on the work of Martha Nussbaum’s Capability Approach (CA). I submit here that the basic capabilities outlined in her work can be used to define the human aspect of human enhancement and therefore guide human enhancement. More precisely, these basic capabilities can be maximized in order to postulate what would an ideal human look like. After outlining different reasons to use the CA in the debate, I then look at four practical examples of human enhancement, illustrating how the CA can help assess the morality of specific human enhancement.
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So-called bioconservatives have most prominently expressed their skepticism about enhancement technologies and argued against bioliberals and transhumanists by resorting to the concept of perfection. They have ascribed this notion to... more
So-called bioconservatives have most prominently expressed their skepticism about enhancement technologies and argued against bioliberals and transhumanists by resorting to the concept of perfection. They have ascribed this notion to proponents of enhancement and used it negatively to make their case against perfection, to allude to the price of perfection or to warn against biotechnology and the pursuit of perfection. But how and what do bioconservatives argue against when they argue against perfection? Why shouldn’t we become perfect or aim towards perfection?
In this paper, we will show that while arguing against perfection, bioconservatives are paradoxically and implicitly the ones resorting to a certain concept of the ‘perfect’ human life in order to argue against proponents of enhancement. Looking at the arguments of Michael Sandel, the President’s Council, and Leon Kass, we will show that they proceed in the following manner: they accuse bioliberals to be seeking perfection. However, they are the ones relying on a strong notion of what it means to be a perfect human being. For them notions such as safety, autonomy, and justice are not enough when addressing the ethics of human enhancement. Therefore, they resort to a notion of perfection, which gives them a normative standard from which they can evaluate enhancement. Any other views that depart from their understanding of perfection are a distortion and a deviation of what a human ought to be like. Thus it is dehumanizing and ought to be discarded. Additionally, we will look at Charles Rubin, Eric Cohen, and Erik Parens, who, to some extent, use a similar method to assess the ethics of enhancement. Finally, we will raise the question whether bioliberals can really avoid speaking of perfection.
This paper will contribute to three important aspects in the debate. First, it will clarify the discussion by identifying the real worry of bioconservatives. Second, it will make explicit one of the arguments used by bioconservatives, which, even though overlapping with the often-used notion of human nature, differs from it. Third, it will raise the further question whether participants in the debate should clarify what they assume is a perfect human being, because it will likely influence they way they seek enhancement or not, as it is used as a blueprint who guides actions.
In this paper, we will show that while arguing against perfection, bioconservatives are paradoxically and implicitly the ones resorting to a certain concept of the ‘perfect’ human life in order to argue against proponents of enhancement. Looking at the arguments of Michael Sandel, the President’s Council, and Leon Kass, we will show that they proceed in the following manner: they accuse bioliberals to be seeking perfection. However, they are the ones relying on a strong notion of what it means to be a perfect human being. For them notions such as safety, autonomy, and justice are not enough when addressing the ethics of human enhancement. Therefore, they resort to a notion of perfection, which gives them a normative standard from which they can evaluate enhancement. Any other views that depart from their understanding of perfection are a distortion and a deviation of what a human ought to be like. Thus it is dehumanizing and ought to be discarded. Additionally, we will look at Charles Rubin, Eric Cohen, and Erik Parens, who, to some extent, use a similar method to assess the ethics of enhancement. Finally, we will raise the question whether bioliberals can really avoid speaking of perfection.
This paper will contribute to three important aspects in the debate. First, it will clarify the discussion by identifying the real worry of bioconservatives. Second, it will make explicit one of the arguments used by bioconservatives, which, even though overlapping with the often-used notion of human nature, differs from it. Third, it will raise the further question whether participants in the debate should clarify what they assume is a perfect human being, because it will likely influence they way they seek enhancement or not, as it is used as a blueprint who guides actions.
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The distinction between therapy and enhancement is often regarded as crucial to the moral evaluation of enhancement: While the therapeutic use of medical technological means (in order to preserve and restore health etc.) is said to be... more
The distinction between therapy and enhancement is often regarded as crucial to the moral evaluation of enhancement: While the therapeutic use of medical technological means (in order to preserve and restore health etc.) is said to be unproblematic, their use for purposes beyond therapy is judged to be prima facie problematic and in need of justification. Many philosophers, however, have raised doubts about the distinction between therapy and enhancement and its prominence in the debate – arguing that it is not a clear-cut, but rather a blurry and gradual distinction that is essentially contested, and questioning its moral importance. Some philosophers have even contended that we should altogether abandon the distinction
between therapy and enhancement. In our talk, we examine the reasons for and against abandoning the distinction between therapy and enhancement in the debate about human enhancement. On the one hand, we suggest that an outright rejection of this distinction might undermine a sensible discussion about the “goals of medicine", which has been opened up again by the possibility of new medical technological interventions. After all, restoring health or normalcy, as difficult to define it may be, is quite different from improving capacities to a degree humans never had before. On the other hand, however, we argue that giving the distinction between therapy and enhancement too much importance might inhibit fruitful discussions about enhancement, because enhancements are potentially not only a challenge for medical practice: If we define and evaluate enhancement only by contrasting it with therapy, we lack a positive idea about the goals of enhancement in its own right. Here we suggest taking a closer look at the concept of "perfection".
We investigate whether this concept proves helpful to reframe discussions about enhancement, when it is conceived more broadly as a social and individual challenge: Does it enable us to engage into a (necessary) discussion about the 'proper goals of enhancement', or is it nothing more than a notoriously vague notion and a "red-herring" in the debate, as some philosophers have claimed?
between therapy and enhancement. In our talk, we examine the reasons for and against abandoning the distinction between therapy and enhancement in the debate about human enhancement. On the one hand, we suggest that an outright rejection of this distinction might undermine a sensible discussion about the “goals of medicine", which has been opened up again by the possibility of new medical technological interventions. After all, restoring health or normalcy, as difficult to define it may be, is quite different from improving capacities to a degree humans never had before. On the other hand, however, we argue that giving the distinction between therapy and enhancement too much importance might inhibit fruitful discussions about enhancement, because enhancements are potentially not only a challenge for medical practice: If we define and evaluate enhancement only by contrasting it with therapy, we lack a positive idea about the goals of enhancement in its own right. Here we suggest taking a closer look at the concept of "perfection".
We investigate whether this concept proves helpful to reframe discussions about enhancement, when it is conceived more broadly as a social and individual challenge: Does it enable us to engage into a (necessary) discussion about the 'proper goals of enhancement', or is it nothing more than a notoriously vague notion and a "red-herring" in the debate, as some philosophers have claimed?
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On Jan 29, 2018 at 19:30, there will be a screening of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY with an introduction by Dr. Simon Spiegel and a presentation of the initiative: '502001.CH: A SPECIES ODYSSEY' by Dr. Johann Roduit. This initiative is held... more
On Jan 29, 2018 at 19:30, there will be a screening of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY with an introduction by Dr. Simon Spiegel and a presentation of the initiative: '502001.CH: A SPECIES ODYSSEY' by Dr. Johann Roduit.
This initiative is held for the 50th anniversary of the movie and the launch is scheduled during the International Workshop: "From human to posthuman? Ethical inquiries regarding the radical transformation of human beings into different kinds of beings", on Jan 29-31, 2018, at the Collegium Helveticum In Zurich, Switzerland.
This initiative is held for the 50th anniversary of the movie and the launch is scheduled during the International Workshop: "From human to posthuman? Ethical inquiries regarding the radical transformation of human beings into different kinds of beings", on Jan 29-31, 2018, at the Collegium Helveticum In Zurich, Switzerland.
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Following our 2016 workshop on “Enhancement & Ethics in the Movies of Andrew Niccol”, this international workshop will bring together an interdisciplinary group of scholars (from philosophy, bioethics, literature, media and/or film... more
Following our 2016 workshop on “Enhancement & Ethics in the Movies of Andrew Niccol”, this international workshop will bring together an interdisciplinary group of scholars (from philosophy, bioethics, literature, media and/or film studies) to meet at the University of Zurich to discuss the moral and prudential implications of technologies that have the potential to turn humans into different kinds of being.
Today’s cybernetic and genetic technologies are forerunners of tomorrow’s transformative technologies. We plan to expand the academic and popular reach of the workshop by considering transformation in the context of science fiction. To do so we will encourage the analysis of the use of imagery found in different stories such as for instance in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the Borg in Star Trek, Cybermen in Dr Who, Zombies in The Walking Dead, AI in Her, Ex Machina, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, etc.
The workshop will use the imagery of these stories as a way to explore the ethical issues regarding radical enhancement (enhancing to a point as to becoming something ontologically different), but also issues in the prudential rationality of significant change.
A feature of these transformations is that the original individual survives as a different kind of being. He or she is not killed and replaced by another individual that may resemble him or her in significant ways. One philosophical debate for which the issue of transformation assumes great importance is the debate about human enhancement. With a few exceptions, the transformations of science fiction seem to make their subjects worse off. We don’t envy humans who have become posthumans, cybermen or zombies. A group of thinkers who call themselves transhumanists are enthusiastic about transformations that might turn humans into posthumans, beings with cognitive and physical capacities that radically exceed those of humans. We hope to use science fiction as a source of case studies to consider the morality or prudential rationality of these seemingly positive changes. This conversation will attract a wide range of scholars interested in how we should think about transformative change.
Today’s cybernetic and genetic technologies are forerunners of tomorrow’s transformative technologies. We plan to expand the academic and popular reach of the workshop by considering transformation in the context of science fiction. To do so we will encourage the analysis of the use of imagery found in different stories such as for instance in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the Borg in Star Trek, Cybermen in Dr Who, Zombies in The Walking Dead, AI in Her, Ex Machina, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, etc.
The workshop will use the imagery of these stories as a way to explore the ethical issues regarding radical enhancement (enhancing to a point as to becoming something ontologically different), but also issues in the prudential rationality of significant change.
A feature of these transformations is that the original individual survives as a different kind of being. He or she is not killed and replaced by another individual that may resemble him or her in significant ways. One philosophical debate for which the issue of transformation assumes great importance is the debate about human enhancement. With a few exceptions, the transformations of science fiction seem to make their subjects worse off. We don’t envy humans who have become posthumans, cybermen or zombies. A group of thinkers who call themselves transhumanists are enthusiastic about transformations that might turn humans into posthumans, beings with cognitive and physical capacities that radically exceed those of humans. We hope to use science fiction as a source of case studies to consider the morality or prudential rationality of these seemingly positive changes. This conversation will attract a wide range of scholars interested in how we should think about transformative change.