The Ethics of Animal Enhancement

摘要

The issue of animal 'enhancement' is a good example that requires analysis on applied, abstract normative and meta-ethical levels. It draws in ontological, linguistic, semantic and ethical concepts. It also requires an understanding of scientific andmedical elements, as well as cultural and societal concepts. Indeed the very concept of enhancement is vague, ambiguous and contested, and attempts to define it have methodological and ethical implications. Nevertheless, the issue has received limited discussion in the bioethical literature.This paper tries to sketch some salient approaches to the analysis of animal enhancement. The issue of its definition is discussed. Some key ethical aspects are then discussed, some of which are related to definitional aspects while others introduce novel terminology. These approaches are described under the headings pertaining to animals' capacities and interests; effects on other animals, including humans; the concept of what is normal; 'yuk factor' ideas and moral repugnances; and potential ethical implications of altering animals' moral status.These allow some ideas as to how the future debate may progress and some appreciation of what effect this debate - and what and how enhancing interventions are conducted in the future - will have for the animals themselves.