Neuroethics, Justice and Autonomy: Public Reason in the Cognitive Enhancement Debate

Veljko Dubljević Ph.D.,D.Phil., is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Science, Technology and Society at North Carolina State University. Before arriving in Raleigh, he spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Neuroethics Research Unit at IRCM and McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He studied philosophy (University of Novi Sad) and economics (Educons University), and obtained a PhD in political science (University of Belgrade). After that he joined the Research Training Group “Bioethics” at the International Centre for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities, University of Tuebingen, and after studying philosophy, bioethics, and neuroscience, he obtained a doctorate in philosophy (University of Stuttgart). Dr. Dubljević’s research focuses on ethics of neuroscience and technology, and neuroscience of ethics. He has over 50 publications in moral, legal and political philosophy and in neuroethics.

• List of abbreviations.- Acknowledgments.- Abstract.- 1. Introduction.- 1.1. The political approach: Beyond utilitarianism and nonpublic reasons – public reason, autonomy and justice in neuroethics.- 1.2. The outcomes: Extension of Rawls' theory of justice in the practical account of public policy on cognitive enhancement.- 1.3. Research questions and the structure of the book.- 2. Conceptual and methodological foundations.- 2.1. Rawls’ political philosophy.- 2.2. Principles of justice as criteria for assessing cognitive enhancement of healthy adults – perspectives and counterarguments.- 2.3. Coercion and compulsion: the political and not metaphysical principle of autonomy in neuroethics.- 3. Psycho-pharmacological cognitive enhancements.- 3.1. Cognition-enhancement drugs: General issues.- 3.2. The case of Ritalin (Methylphenidate).- 3.3. The case of Adderall (Amphetamine).- 4. Electro-magnetic enhancements of cognition.- 4.1. Cognition-enhancement devices: General issues.- 4.2. Thecase of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).- 4.3. The case of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).- 5. Analysis of objections.- 5.1. Objections to the general approach.- 5.2. Could there be a convergence between liberals, socialists and conservatives on policy concerning cognitive enhancement? Objections to the idea of public reason.- 5.3. Specific objections to the argument and policy proposals.- 6. Conclusions.- Index.