Why (not) enhance the brain? A mixed-methods exploration of the acceptability and desirability of neuroenhancement

Bard, Imre (2023) Why (not) enhance the brain? A mixed-methods exploration of the acceptability and desirability of neuroenhancement. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Abstract

Neuroenhancement, the prospect of enhancing mental and cognitive capacities, raises important ethical questions that have been widely debated in academic and public spheres. However, little is known about how values shape people’s attitudes towards this phenomenon, and how these attitudes vary across contexts and countries. This thesis addresses this gap by using a mixed-methods approach to empirically investigate the views of the public in five countries: Austria, Germany, Hungary, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and the perspectives of neuroenhancement users. The thesis consists of three main empirical studies. The first study analyses data from a representative multi-national survey that included two contrastive vignette experiments and a series of attitude questions. The study identifies two value orientations – the Societal-Restrictive and the Individual-Permissive stances – that underpin people’s views on neuroenhancement. The study also reveals the diversity and complexity of reasoning about neuroenhancement among different segments of the public, using cluster analysis methods and open-ended qualitative survey responses. The second empirical component of the work is an exploratory micro-study of a UK brain hacker collective. The findings highlight the heterogeneity of personal motivations for involvement in brain hacking. This work reveals that in contrast to the productivity-oriented pursuit of pharmacological neuroenhancement, brain hackers pursue a wider range of goals and are motivated by broader, more ambitious values. The third empirical chapter is based on repeat interviews conducted with users of a sensory augmentation device. It offers insights into the Proactionary Milieu, which is characterized by a culture of openness to risk, innovation, and self-experimentation in pursuit of a vision of voluntary cyborgisation and enhancement. The study tracks user experiences over time, uncovering motivations, experiences, and reflections on the successes and failures of the practical pursuit of transhumanism. The thesis argues that public attitudes towards neuroenhancement are not monolithic, but rather reflect the interplay of personal and social values and goals, as well as moral and practical considerations.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information:	© 2023 Imre Bárd
Library of Congress subject classification:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Sets:	Departments > Methodology
Supervisor:	Gaskell, George and Cornish, Flora and Sturgis, Patrick
URI:	http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/4702

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