The ethical acceptability of human enhancement technologies: A cross-country Q-study of the perception of insideables

Abstract

This paper aims to identify the ethical considerations driving the acceptance of and resistance to the use of insideable technology for human enhancement purposes, which are crucial to understand for the development of the cyborg technology market and businesses. While the literature privileges quantitative approaches, investigations focused on a strand of ethical theory or a specific value, this study adopts a qualitative and holistic approach. Based on prior interview data and a literature review, 33 items representing various ethical considerations of interest are identified. A qualitative Q-study was conducted, in which 55 individuals in three different countries expressed their points of view on insideables regarding these items. Hence, four different views are presented, highlighting drivers of acceptance of human enhancement technologies, conditional acceptance, and mere rejection. These views reveal the trade-offs between values made by respondents, shedding light on the ethical bricolage at play. The role of ethical concerns and theories in models to study the acceptance of human enhancement technologies and their potential business implications are discussed.