能否使用生物医学技术或基因工程来增强人类道德是近年来生命伦理学领域中颇具争议的话题。主张道德增强的观点认为,道德增强具有功利上的合理性:道德增强从根本上改变了传统人类道德进步的路径,对防止恐怖主义,气候灾难和核战争以及促进人在道德上的完善,实现人的全面发展等具有重要作用。反对道德增强的观点认为,道德增强不能简单地从功利上进行衡量,道德有其特殊的地位,对道德进行生物医学上的干预需要寻找更多正当的理由,支持道德增强的观点缺乏足够的说服力,道德增强需要更多的论证。
The idea of moral enhancement, which using biomedical techniques including pharmacological and genetic methods to improve our moral capabilities, has been a much-controversy topic in bioethics literature. Supporters of moral enhancement believe that moral enhancement will basically change the path of traditional moral progress, and it would have rationality in utilitarianism and have some positive consequences in reliable solution to the evils deeds, climate change and even threaten of nuclear war that humans face. By contrast, opponents to moral enhancement claim that moral enhancement cannot be demonstrated by utilitarianism simply, because morality has its special position in human life. We need more rational reasons for why we should interfere moral by using biomedicine technology. The main reasons to advocates moral enhancement are lack of enough persuasiveness. Therefore, moral enhancement needs more demonstrations and further research.