The mystery of mental integrity: clarifying its relevance to neurotechnologies
The concept of mental integrity is currently a significant topic in discussions concerning the regulation of neurotechnologies. Technologies such as deep brain stimulation and brain-computer interfaces are believed to pose a unique threat to mental integrity, and some authors have advocated for a le...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer
2023
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| _version_ | 1797111344383655936 |
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| author | Zohny, H Lyreskog, DM Singh, I Savulescu, J |
| author_facet | Zohny, H Lyreskog, DM Singh, I Savulescu, J |
| author_sort | Zohny, H |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | The concept of mental integrity is currently a significant topic in discussions concerning the regulation of neurotechnologies. Technologies such as deep brain stimulation and brain-computer interfaces are believed to pose a unique threat to mental integrity, and some authors have advocated for a legal right to protect it. Despite this, there remains uncertainty about what mental integrity entails and why it is important. Various interpretations of the concept have been proposed, but the literature on the subject is inconclusive. Here we consider a number of possible interpretations and argue that the most plausible one concerns neurotechnologies that bypass one’s reasoning capacities, and do so specifically in ways that reliably lead to alienation from one’s mental states. This narrows the scope of what constitutes a threat to mental integrity and offers a more precise role for the concept to play in the ethical evaluation of neurotechnologies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:07:33Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:0b1cb93c-38de-4351-b068-b13b9c3c19a4 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:07:33Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:0b1cb93c-38de-4351-b068-b13b9c3c19a42023-11-14T06:23:52ZThe mystery of mental integrity: clarifying its relevance to neurotechnologiesJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:0b1cb93c-38de-4351-b068-b13b9c3c19a4EnglishSymplectic ElementsSpringer2023Zohny, HLyreskog, DMSingh, ISavulescu, JThe concept of mental integrity is currently a significant topic in discussions concerning the regulation of neurotechnologies. Technologies such as deep brain stimulation and brain-computer interfaces are believed to pose a unique threat to mental integrity, and some authors have advocated for a legal right to protect it. Despite this, there remains uncertainty about what mental integrity entails and why it is important. Various interpretations of the concept have been proposed, but the literature on the subject is inconclusive. Here we consider a number of possible interpretations and argue that the most plausible one concerns neurotechnologies that bypass one’s reasoning capacities, and do so specifically in ways that reliably lead to alienation from one’s mental states. This narrows the scope of what constitutes a threat to mental integrity and offers a more precise role for the concept to play in the ethical evaluation of neurotechnologies. |
| spellingShingle | Zohny, H Lyreskog, DM Singh, I Savulescu, J The mystery of mental integrity: clarifying its relevance to neurotechnologies |
| title | The mystery of mental integrity: clarifying its relevance to neurotechnologies |
| title_full | The mystery of mental integrity: clarifying its relevance to neurotechnologies |
| title_fullStr | The mystery of mental integrity: clarifying its relevance to neurotechnologies |
| title_full_unstemmed | The mystery of mental integrity: clarifying its relevance to neurotechnologies |
| title_short | The mystery of mental integrity: clarifying its relevance to neurotechnologies |
| title_sort | mystery of mental integrity clarifying its relevance to neurotechnologies |
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