Abstract:

Criticisms on the autonomy in moral enhancement have long taken as their main stance the lack of freedom of choice and authenticity of individual moral choices in the face of technological interventions， as opposed to the utilitarianism’s emphasis on the social well-being of the outcomes of moral behavior. Discussions on autonomy in the context of perfectionism break away from the individualistic tone and take a position of “relational account of autonomy” to clarify the importance， dimensions， and limits of societal intervention in individual morality. However， while a form of coerction exercised in the name of “good” may hold significant value for the development of autonomy， it doesn’t suffice to justify and necessitate the use of biomedical technologies to enhance morality. To prevent the human society from falling into the “Lord of the Rings” dilemma of technological governance， it is important to uphold the subjectivity of human beings and seek ways to refine the traditional “moral enhancement” under the guidance of contemporary perfectionism.

Key words: moral enhancement, technological ethics, perfectionism, autonomy, freedom