Philosophy of Mind-Brain Limit Recognition and Ethics of Mind-Brain Limit Breaking

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Understanding and breaking the limit of human minds and performance
• Project/Area Number: 20H05717
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Transformative Research Areas, Section (I)
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Nakazawa Eisuke 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 講師 (90554428)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-10-02 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 脳神経倫理 / 限界突破 / エンハンスメント

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research is a philosophy of science and ethics on the recognition and breaking through of mind-brain limits. Ethical, legal, and social issues specific to the domain were delved into from a humanistic perspective to carve out the concept of limit recognition and breakthrough. As a result of descriptive research on the concept of limits, it was found that there are three groups equally divided into three groups: those who have experience of limits, those who have stopped striving for limits, and those who do not have either of the two. As for ethics research, we compiled and published the results of a survey of public attitudes toward enhancement, humanity, and society. The desire for enhancement is influenced by marginal experiences and socioeconomic disparities. In addition, the desire for enhancement was found to be influenced by the behavior of others.

Free Research Field

医療倫理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究課題の成果は、心脳限界突破という新たな融合学問領域に社会的・学問論的位置づけを与えるものであった。これまで哲学的、倫理学的に「限界」という概念を中心に据え、その意味内容を明らかにしつつ、さらにはその限界概念とコンテンポラリーな技術の相互作用を捉えた研究は僅少であると考えられる。本研究課題を通じて、限界の概念の意味内容を分析できたこと、および限界突破を目指す脳科学技術がもたらす社会的・人間的影響について脳神経倫理の観点から研究を実施しエンハンスメントと他者の行動について知見を提示し得たことは本研究課題の学術的意義、社会的意義と考えることができる。