Shaping Children, 1st ed. 2019 Ethical and Social Questions that Arise when Enhancing the Young Advances in Neuroethics Series

The volume offers a unique collection of articles on pediatric neuroenhancement from an international and multidisciplinary perspective. In recent years, the topic of ?neuroenhancement? has become increasingly relevant in academia and practice, as well as among the public. While autonomous adults are free to choose neuroenhancement, in children it presents its own ethical, social, legal, and developmental issues. A plethora of potential (neurotechnological) enhancement agents are on the market. While the manifold issues surrounding the topic have been extensively discussed, there is little work on the specific questions that arise in children and adolescents. This book addresses this gap in the literature: Next to conceptual and normative work on autonomy and self-control, the collection explores the implications for parenting and schooling, and provides input for a discussion of public attitudes. It is a valuable resource for the different academic communities confronted with questions of how to evaluate and approach enhancement in children and is of interest to neuroethicists, scholars in applied ethics and neurology, psychiatrists and psychologists as well as scientists developing enhancement interventions for children.

Part-1: Perspectives on the specific value of childhood –self-control, autonomy, and naturalness  12

Chapter-1: Shaping Children: The Pursuit of Normalcy in Pediatric Cognitive Neuro-enhancement 12

Chapter-2: Self-control enhancement in children: Ethical and conceptual aspects

Chapter-3: Neuro-Enhancement at the Margins of Autonomy: In the Best Interest of Children and Elderly? 

Chapter-4: Pediatric Neuro-Enhancement and Natural Goodness

Part-2: Learning from Perspectives of the Publics  60

Chapter-5: Experimental Neuroethics

Chapter-6: Public Perceptions of Prescription Drug Use for Cognitive Enhancement in Healthy Children and Adolescents

CHapter-7: Pediatric Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement in a Self-Medicating Society

Part-3: Perspectives on implications for parenting, education, and policy  93

Chapter-8: Enhancing young brains in contemporary family life: Exploring the context and scope of pediatric neuro-enhancement

Chapter-9: Education and the Ethics of Neuro-enhancement

Chapter-10: Self-melioration, autonomy and music enriched self-control. On enhancing children´s attention 

Chapter-11: Explaining Gender Differences in the Diagnosis of ADHD in Children

Chapter-12: Pediatric neuroenhancement, best interest and autonomy: A case of normative reversal

Saskia Nagel is professor for Applied Ethics and Ethics of Technology at RWTH Aachen University (Germany) and Associate Professor for Philosophy and Ethics of Technology at University of Twente (Netherlands).

With a background in Cognitive Science and Philosophy, she develops approaches to individual and societal challenges in a technological culture, with a focus on the ethical, anthropological, and social consequences of scientific and technological progress. Her interdisciplinary research group explores how new human-technology-relations – as enabled by research in the fields of neuroscience, cognitive science, AI, or data science - influence human self-understanding and the understanding of moral values. She co-authored a position paper by the American Academy of Neurology endorsed by the Child Neurology Society and the American Neurological Association, on pediatric neuro-enhancement. Recent projects investigate questions of autonomy throughout life, responsibility, and trust. Saskia Nagel combines research in applied ethics with philosophy of mind and philosophy and ethics of technology and involves studies on the public understanding of sciences and technological advances.

Focuses on neuroenhancement interventions for children and adolescents

Presents a broad perspective on the international scale of neuroenhancement

Discusses the practical implications for parenting, schooling, and policy-making