Shaping Children: Ethical and Social Questions that Arise when Enhancing the Young (Advances in Neuroethics)

The volume offers a unique collection of articles on pediatric neuroenhancement from an international and multidisciplinary perspective. In recent years, the topic of “neuroenhancement” has become increasingly relevant in academia and practice, as well as among the public. While autonomous adults are free to choose neuroenhancement, in children it presents its own ethical, social, legal, and developmental issues. A plethora of potential (neurotechnological) enhancement agents are on the market. While the manifold issues surrounding the topic have been extensively discussed, there is little work on the specific questions that arise in children and adolescents. This book addresses this gap in the literature: Next to conceptual and normative work on autonomy and self-control, the collection explores the implications for parenting and schooling, and provides input for a discussion of public attitudes. It is a valuable resource for the different academic communities confronted with questions of how to evaluate and approach enhancement in children and is of interest to neuroethicists, scholars in applied ethics and neurology, psychiatrists and psychologists as well as scientists developing enhancement interventions for children. Foreword......Page 6 Contents......Page 9 1: Introduction......Page 11 References......Page 17 Part I: Perspectives on the Specific Value of Childhood: Self-Control, Autonomy, and Naturalness......Page 19 2: Shaping Children: The Pursuit of Normalcy in Pediatric Cognitive Neuro-enhancement......Page 20 2.1 Introduction......Page 21 2.2 The Idea of Normalcy......Page 22 2.3 Why Ends Matter......Page 23 2.4 Motives and Reasons......Page 24 2.5.1 Models of Disability......Page 25 2.5.2 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)......Page 26 2.6.1 Autonomy......Page 28 2.6.2 Designing Children......Page 29 2.6.3 Private and Public Interests......Page 30 2.7 Conclusion......Page 31 References......Page 32 3: Self-Control Enhancement in Children: Ethical and Conceptual Aspects......Page 34 3.1 Introduction......Page 35 3.2 The Science of Self-Control and the Relevance of Childhood Self-Control......Page 37 3.3 Should Self-Control Be Enhanced?......Page 40 3.4.1 Impermissible Self-Control Enhancement......Page 43 3.4.2 Permissible Enhancement......Page 45 3.4.3 Obligatory Enhancement......Page 46 3.5 Conclusion......Page 47 References......Page 48 4: Neuro-enhancement at the Margins of Autonomy: In the Best Interest of Children and Elderly?......Page 51 4.2.1 The Anatomy of Autonomy......Page 52 4.2.2 The Autonomy of Young Children with Increasing Decision-Making Capabilities......Page 54 4.2.3 The Autonomy of Elderly with Diminishing Decision-Making Capabilities......Page 55 4.3.1 An Argument for Pediatric Neuro-enhancement......Page 56 4.3.2 An Argument for Enhancing Elderly with Diminishing Autonomy (and Why It Is Implausible)......Page 58 4.4.1 What Is the Difference?......Page 60 4.4.2 Overshadowing......Page 61 4.4.3 In the Best Interest of the Future-Autonomous......Page 62 References......Page 63 5.1 Introduction: Enhancement and Human Nature......Page 64 5.2 Human Nature and Childhood......Page 69 5.3 The Special Case of Paediatric Neuro-enhancement......Page 73 5.4 Conclusion......Page 76 References......Page 77 Part II: Learning from Perspectives of the Publics......Page 79 6: Experimental Neuroethics......Page 80 6.1 The Contrastive Vignette Technique......Page 81 6.2 Contrastive Quantitized Content Analysis......Page 83 6.4 The CVT in Action......Page 84 6.5 Subject Population......Page 85 6.7 Normative Analysis......Page 86 References......Page 87 7: Public Perceptions of Prescription Drug Use for Cognitive Enhancement in Healthy Children and Adolescents......Page 89 7.1 Introduction......Page 90 7.1.1 Ethical Debates About CE of Young People......Page 91 7.1.2 Limited Research on Public Perceptions Regarding CE of Young People......Page 92 7.2.2 Measures......Page 95 7.2.3 Statistical Analysis......Page 97 7.3.1 Restrictions......Page 98 7.3.2 Peer Pressure......Page 102 7.3.3 Limitations of the Study and Methods-Related Directions for Future Research......Page 104 References......Page 105 8: Enhancing Young Brains in Contemporary Family Life: Exploring the Context and Scope of Pediatric Neuro-enhancement......Page 108 8.2 Neuro-enhancement in Context: Cultures of Parenting......Page 109 8.3 Parenting Across Culture, Gender, and Class......Page 111 8.4 The Boundaries of Neuro-enhancement......Page 112 8.5.1 Methodology......Page 114 8.5.2 Findings......Page 115 8.6 Does This Media Content Reflect Everyday Parenting Realities?......Page 119 8.7 Concluding Comments......Page 121 References......Page 122 Part III: Perspectives on Implications for Parenting, Education, and Policy......Page 125 9: Education and the Ethics of Neuro-enhancement......Page 126 9.2 Neuro-enhancement and Education......Page 127 9.3.1 Consent- and Autonomy-Based Justifications of Cognitive Neuro-enhancement......Page 133 9.3.2 Education, Achievement, and the (Enhanced) Authentic Self......Page 137 9.4 Conclusion......Page 140 References......Page 141 10.1 Introduction......Page 144 10.2 Psychosocial Developmental Stages and PPCE......Page 146 10.3.1 North America......Page 148 10.3.2 Europe......Page 149 10.4 Physician’s Prescribing Behavior and Peer PPCE......Page 150 10.5 Effective Prevention of PPCE despite a Lack of Prevalence Data......Page 151 References......Page 152 11: Self-Melioration, Autonomy and Music-Enriched Self-Control: On Enhancing Children’s Attention......Page 156 11.1 Enhancing Perspectives on Attention Enhancements in Children......Page 157 11.2 On the Ethics of Self-Formation as Autonomy and Control Enhancements of Attention in Growing-Ups......Page 164 11.2.1 Ethics of Slow Development of Attention in the Face of Self-Formation and the Development of Autonomy......Page 165 11.2.2 Music Enrichment First: Long-Term Brain Training of Auditory Attention by Synchronisation of Behaviour......Page 171 11.2.3 Beyond Core/Noncore Divide in Enhancing Mathematical Skills: The Role of Executive Attention......Page 174 11.2.4 Cognitive Enhancement of Attention in Techno-philosophical Terms of Development of Autonomy......Page 175 11.3 Conclusion: On Temporally Adequate Attention Enhancement in Children......Page 177 References......Page 178 12.1 Introduction......Page 184 12.2 The Medical Neglect Hypothesis......Page 186 12.3 The Social Attitude Hypothesis......Page 190 12.4 Conclusion......Page 195 References......Page 197 13: Pediatric Neuro-enhancement, Best Interest, and Autonomy: A Case of Normative Reversal......Page 199 13.1 Introduction......Page 200 13.2 The Weaker Claim: Pediatric Enhancement Is Inevitable and Acceptable......Page 202 13.3 The Stronger Claim: Pediatric Enhancement Is Both Acceptable and Laudable......Page 203 13.4 The Upshot: Ethical Evaluation of Pediatric Enhancement and Policy Options......Page 209 References......Page 210