A Theory of the Super Soldier : The Morality of Capacity-increasing Technologies in the Military

Throughout history, states have tried to create the perfect combatant with superhuman physical and cognitive features that are akin to those of comic book superheroes. However, the current innovations have nothing to do with the ones from the past and their development goes beyond a simple technological perspective. On the contrary, they are raising the prospect of a human enhancement revolution that will change the ways with which future wars will be fought and may even profoundly alter the foundations upon which our modern societies are built on. This book, which discusses the full ethical implications of these new technologies, is a unique contribution for students and scholars who care about the morality of warfare. Throughout history, states have tried to create the perfect combatant, a soldier with superhuman physical and cognitive features, akin to those of comic book superheroes. However, current innovation has little to do with past ideas of the ideal super soldier, with the new tools of warfare going far beyond simple technological advancement. We are raising the prospect of a human enhancement revolution that will change the way war is fought and may profoundly alter the foundations upon which our modern societies are built. This book discusses the full ethical implications of these new technologies and offers a unique contribution to current debates on the morality of war. When analysed from an ethical viewpoint, the development and use of capacity-increasing technologies in the military is far more complex than it first appears and should be considered a significant ethical dilemma. Enhancing soldiers' capacities might be considered a moral obligation on the part of the military, but such technologies might also end up harming the fundamental moral principles of warfare. Without condemning them as immoral and inadmissible, Caron proposes a nuanced and balanced appraisal of capacity-increasing technologies in the military and suggests that they are tools that ought only to be used when compliance with strict moral criteria has been reached--back cover Front matter Dedication Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Conceptual clarifications: distinguishing capacity-restoring and capacity-increasing technologies The moral obligation of soldier enhancement research Military capacity-increasing technologies and their consequences The ethics of developing capacity-increasing technologies Permanent capacity-increasing technologies and the transhumanist danger Conclusion Index Super soldiers are about to become the new actors in the battlefields of tomorrow. Armed with science fiction-esque equipment and drugs, they are about to make comic book and Hollywood superheroes a reality. -- . Jean-françois Caron. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.