Responsible Cognitive Enhancement: Neuroethical Considerations

Abstract

Cognitive enhancement is the use of any (legitimate) means to reach one’s personal best cognitive performance. Cognitive enhancement can help delay cognitive decline in the elderly. Along the same lines, training children could speed up the education and reduce the risk of behavioral deviance and pathology. Nonetheless, cognitive enhancement is one of the most widely discussed topics in neuroethics because it is considered by some authors to be “unnatural” and to create “positional benefits.” In this opinion article, I will present examples of cognitive enhancement from the field of food supplements, pharmacology, and brain stimulation. I propose the idea of a responsible cognitive enhancement supported by clear mechanisms of action, that takes into account individual differences and that evaluates the far-reaching, sweeping claims from the media and the industry.