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7 - Military Human Enhancement

from Part II - Applying the Law to Some New Technologies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 December 2018

By
Ioana Maria Puscas
Edited by
William H. Boothby
William H. Boothby
Affiliation:
Geneva Centre for Security Policy
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Summary

Chapter 7 discusses the implications of human enhancement technologies for the military, with a focus on ethics and operational challenges. The Chapter introduces the concept of ‘human enhancement’ and briefly discusses some of the controversies associated with the term, as well as the historical precedents that led to present-day enhancement technologies. It then continues by presenting some of the most significant technologies for physical and cognitive enhancement under development today. The analysis of these technologies takes several aspects into account: the ethical implications and the impact on military values, operational and practical dilemmas, and issues related to military law and the notion of informed consent. The Chapter does not solely focus on risks. Ethical opportunities arising from military enhancements are also discussed, such as the potential for enhancements to provide a solution to combat stressors in military operations. Finally, the Chapter examines some of the avenues for regulation and it does so by drawing a comparison with similar developments in non-military domains, such as sports, the workplace and society in general.
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Chapter
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New Technologies and the Law in War and Peace , pp. 182 - 229
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2018

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