NDLI: Libertarianism, Legitimation, and the Problems of Regulating Cognition-Enhancing Drugs

Please wait, while we are loading the content...

The Neuroethics of Pleasure and Addiction in Public Health Strategies Moving Beyond Harm Reduction: Funding the Creation of Non-Addictive Drugs and Taxonomies of Pleasure

Libertarianism, Legitimation, and the Problems of Regulating Cognition-Enhancing Drugs

Ethical Issues Raised by Proposals to Treat Addiction Using Deep Brain Stimulation

The Dual Track Theory of Moral Decision-Making: a Critique of the Neuroimaging Evidence

Cognitive Neuroscience and Moral Decision-making: Guide or Set Aside?

“The Neuroscience of Responsibility”—Workshop Report

Neuroethics : Volume 4, Issue 1, April 2011

Neuroethics : Volume 3

Neuroethics : Volume 2

Neuroethics : Volume 1

Libertarianism, Legitimation, and the Problems of Regulating Cognition-Enhancing Drugs

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Capps, Benjamin
Copyright Year	2010
Abstract	Some libertarians tend to advocate the wide availability of cognition-enhancing drugs beyond their current prescription-only status. They suggest that certain kinds of drugs can be a component of a prudential conception of the ‘good life’—they enhance our opportunities and preferences; and therefore, if a person freely chooses to use them, then there is no justification for the kind of prejudicial, authoritative restrictions that are currently deployed in public policy. In particular, this libertarian idea signifies that if enhancements are a prudential ‘good’ for the user, then this can also be construed as a moral good for all rational agents. If this argument is successful, there can be no substantial distinction between the categorical benefits of enhancement, and what is labeled as an enhancement technology. In this paper, I argue that the exclusivity of egotistical choice, and an uncritical deployment of enhancement as a prudential good, underplays the role of a social and political community when creating a procedurally just and effective public policy. Principally, the argument is devoid of any ethical system to permit the external—and therefore public–appreciation of the social context of moral decisions. In effect, libertarian arguments of this sort must disregard any ideas of public ethics, because the liberty to use whatever means available to gain a socio-economic advantage actually extinguishes any professed legitimation strategy. Escaping the procedural aspects of public policy, which are considered integral to authoritative coherence, results in the erosion of any moral obligations. Thus, in a libertarian society, disenfranchised individuals—such as those harmed through addiction—are the unlucky or superfluous product of a liberal and ‘progressive’ society.
Starting Page	119
Ending Page	128
Page Count	10
File Format	PDF
ISSN	18745490
Journal	Neuroethics
Volume Number	4
Issue Number	2
e-ISSN	18745504
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Netherlands
Publisher Date	2010-02-24
Publisher Place	Dordrecht
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Libertarianism Cognition-enhancing drugs Public policy Legitimation Human rights Authoritative regulation Addiction Neuropsychology Neurobiology Ethics Neuroradiology Neurology Neurosurgery
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Philosophy Neurology Health Policy Psychiatry and Mental Health

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

Addicted to Food, Hungry for Drugs

Addiction, Compulsion, and Persistent Temptation

The Paradox of Addiction Neuroscience

Enhancing Autonomy by Reducing Impulsivity: The Case of ADHD

Public Understandings of Addiction: Where do Neurobiological Explanations Fit?

Autonomy and Enhancement

Is Addiction a Brain Disease?

Addiction, Compulsion, and Agency

Responsibility without Blame for Addiction

Libertarianism, Legitimation, and the Problems of Regulating Cognition-Enhancing Drugs

Similar Documents

Addicted to Food, Hungry for Drugs

Addiction, Compulsion, and Persistent Temptation

The Paradox of Addiction Neuroscience

Enhancing Autonomy by Reducing Impulsivity: The Case of ADHD

Public Understandings of Addiction: Where do Neurobiological Explanations Fit?

Autonomy and Enhancement

Is Addiction a Brain Disease?

Addiction, Compulsion, and Agency

Responsibility without Blame for Addiction

Libertarianism, Legitimation, and the Problems of Regulating Cognition-Enhancing Drugs