TY - BOOK ID - 8172231 TI - Unfit for the Future AU - Persson, Ingmar AU - Savulescu, Julian PY - 2012 SN - 9780199653645 019965364X 0191742031 9786613717665 0191632872 1280876352 PB - Oxford Oxford University Press DB - UniCat KW - Moral motivation. KW - Environmental ethics. KW - Bioethics. KW - Morale KW - Renforcement (psychologie) KW - Bioéthique KW - Morale. KW - Bioéthique. KW - Ethiek KW - Techniek KW - Wetenschappen KW - Techniek (wetenschap) KW - Wetenschap KW - Godsdienst KW - Sport KW - Duurzaamheid KW - Filosofie KW - Psychologie KW - Sociologie KW - Man KW - Cultuur KW - Erfelijkheidsleer KW - Stadssamenleving KW - Technologie KW - Voeding KW - Maatschappij KW - Verpleegkunde KW - Drank KW - Gezondheid KW - Volwassene KW - Geschiedenis KW - Voorlichting KW - Motivation morale. KW - Éthique de l'environnement. UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:8172231 AB - Most of their history human beings have lived in comparatively small and close‐knit societies, with a primitive technology that allowed them to affect only their most immediate environment. Their moral psychology is therefore adpated to make them fit to live in these conditions; it is myopic, restricted to a concern about kin and people in the neighbourhood in the immediate future. But by scientific technology humans have radically changed their living conditions, while their moral psychology has remained fundamentally the same through this change, which is occurring with an accelerating speed. Human beings now live in societies with millions of citizens, and with an advanced scientific technology that enables them to exercise an influence that extends all over the world and far into the future. This is leading to increasing environmental degradation and to deleterious climate change. The advanced scientific technology has also equipped human beings with nuclear and biological weapons of mass destruction, which might be used by states in wars over dwindling natural resources, or by terrorists. Liberal democracies cannot overcome these threats merely by developing novel technology. What is needed is an enhancement of the moral dispositions of their citizens, an extension of their moral concern beyond a small circle of personal acquaintances and further into the future. Otherwise, human civilization is jeopardized. It is doubtful whether this moral enhancement could be accomplished solely by means of traditional moral education. Therefore, we should explore, in addition, the prospects of moral enhancement by alternative, biomedical means. ER -