Moral enhancement and behavioral trait variance.

IF 1.7 2区 哲学 Q2 ETHICS
Bioethics Pub Date : 2025-03-18 DOI:10.1111/bioe.13412
Brandon Long
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Proponents of moral enhancement often link certain traits to virtuous behavior but typically focus on average trait scores, neglecting individual behavioral trait variance. Behavioral trait variance refers to the range of behaviors a person exhibits within a trait, which may partly arise from genetic factors independent of mean scores. Using Martha Nussbaum's capabilities approach and virtue ethics, I argue that increasing behavioral trait variance could promote moral flourishing. For example, a consistently disagreeable teacher might excel in specific contexts, like a philosophy seminar. However, such a teacher will struggle to find Aristotle's moral meaning of friendliness, limiting their virtue across diverse contexts. Since social virtues are context-dependent, reducing behavioral trait variance through personality enhancement could also hinder an individual's ability to achieve virtues or capabilities. This article investigates behavioral trait variance's moral role within virtue ethics and calls for other moral enhancement theories to address the ethical significance of behavioral trait variance and its potential impact on moral flourishing.

道德增强与行为特征变异。
道德提升的支持者经常将某些特征与善良的行为联系起来,但通常关注的是平均特征得分,而忽略了个体行为特征的差异。行为特征方差是指一个人在一个特征内表现出的行为范围,它可能部分由独立于平均分的遗传因素引起。运用Martha Nussbaum的能力方法和美德伦理,我认为增加行为特征差异可以促进道德繁荣。例如,一个一直不讨人喜欢的老师可能会在特定的环境中表现出色,比如哲学研讨会。然而,这样的老师将很难找到亚里士多德的道德意义的友谊,限制了他们的美德在不同的语境。由于社会美德是情境依赖的,通过人格增强来减少行为特征差异也会阻碍个体实现美德或能力的能力。本文探讨了行为特质变异在道德伦理中的道德作用,并呼吁其他道德增强理论来解决行为特质变异的伦理意义及其对道德繁荣的潜在影响。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Bioethics
Bioethics 医学-医学:伦理
CiteScore
4.20
自引率
9.10%
发文量
127
审稿时长
6-12 weeks
期刊介绍: As medical technology continues to develop, the subject of bioethics has an ever increasing practical relevance for all those working in philosophy, medicine, law, sociology, public policy, education and related fields. Bioethics provides a forum for well-argued articles on the ethical questions raised by current issues such as: international collaborative clinical research in developing countries; public health; infectious disease; AIDS; managed care; genomics and stem cell research. These questions are considered in relation to concrete ethical, legal and policy problems, or in terms of the fundamental concepts, principles and theories used in discussions of such problems. Bioethics also features regular Background Briefings on important current debates in the field. These feature articles provide excellent material for bioethics scholars, teachers and students alike.
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