Human Well-Being, Nature and Technology. A Comment on Dorato

Abstract

In my paper I react to Mauro Dorato’s contribution to this edited volume. In particular, I argue that two images of nature are at play in popular arguments about how technology may threaten nature, i.e. nature-as-environment and nature-as-essence. I critically review both images and discuss the potential normative force of arguments based on them. I argue for adopting human well-being rather than “human flourishing”, as proposed by Dorato, as normative framework for evaluating new technologies as it avoids an essentialist reading of human nature. Moreover such a normative framework should also include other moral values like justice and sustainability.