International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW)

Dr. Veljko Dubljevic

 

 

 

 


Member of the research training group 'Bioethics'
Member of the International Neuroethics Society and coordinator of the Neuroethics Reading Group, Tübingen

E-Mail: veljko.dubljevicspam prevention@izew.uni-tuebingen.de;
veljko.dubljevicspam prevention@yahoo.com

PhD-Thesis

Autonomy and justice in neuroethics of human enhancement

A wide range of existing, emerging and visionary technologies offers the possibility of neuroenhancement of human beings, promising (or threatening) to drastically change the lives of citizens. Among them are drugs that boost brain power, neuroimplants that could provide interface with computers or even artificial means of augmenting cognition, new brain stimulation technologies to alleviate suffering and control mood, and highly sophisticated prosthetic applications that may provide specialized sensory input or mechanical output.

The debate on enhancement in neuroethics, the field of applied ethics analyzing the social, legal and ethical challenges of these technologies, had been sidetracked to a metaphysical argument about human nature. Most arguments against enhancement tend to concentrate on the issue of authenticity or what it means to live according to human nature. The proenhancement arguments are broadly utilitarian, and furthered by the claim that human brains are no more than tools among other tools of cognition, and even that human beings are “natural born cyborgs”. The issue of distributive justice has been evoked on both sides, although without specific content to the conception of justice that should be applied. The questions of what implications does neuroenhancement have for individual and political autonomy are so far left unanswered.

While researching for my dissertationproject I will conduct an in-depth case by case analysis of existing and emerging neuroenhancement technologies while applying the concept of autonomy and relevant conceptions of distributive justice, in order to formulate a distinct approach in neuroethics that would be political and not metaphysical. The primary objective of this research is to make a contribution toward answering the question: What are the most basic moral principles that should guide public policy and individual choice concerning the use of neuroenhancement in a democratic society?

Biography

Academic Career:

2011- GK Bioethics research fellow at the International Center for Ethics in Sciences and Humanities, Tübingen University, Germany;
2008-2010 Manager of the Publishing Centre, Educons University, Serbia
2005-2006 Teaching assistant (Political philosophy, Faculty of law and business studies, Novi Sad)
2002-2008 Teaching assistant (Business ethics, Faculty for business in services, Novi Sad)

Education:

2011 Ph.D. in Political theory, University of Belgrade, Serbia
2008 M.Sc. in Economics, Educons University; Serbia
2001 Diplom in Philosophy (Hons), University of Novi Sad, Serbia.

Research interests:

Neuroethics, Bioethics, Business ethics, Moral theory, Political theory

Publications

Recent talks:

  • “Principles of Justice as Criteria for Assessing Psycho-pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement” – Paper presented at the International Neuroethics Conference “Neuroenhancement”, University of Mainz, Germany; 07-08.07.2011;
  • „Why Did Rawls Revisit the Idea of Public Reason“? – Paper presented at the International Symposium „Debating Public Reason“, University of Poitiers, France; 04.-05.11.2011.

http://philo.labo.univ-poitiers.fr/spip.php?article152 
http://uptv.univ-poitiers.fr/web/canal/61/theme/28/manif/344/index.html

  • „A Theoretical Investigation of Principles of Justice as Criteria for Assessing Psychopharmacologial Cognitive Enhancement“ – Poster presentation at the International Neuroethics Society Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. USA; 10-11.11.2011;
  • „Introducing Neuroethics: (Cognitive) Neuroscience of Morality“ - invited talk at the Ethics Centre, University of Jena; 18.01.2012.

Publications:

1. “Cognitive Enhancement, Rational Choice and Justification”, Neuroethics; DOI: 10.1007/s12152-012-9173-5
2. “’Clock shock’, Motivational Enhancement and Performance Maintenance in Adderall Use”, Co-authorship with Robert Ranisch and Duilio Garofoli; Open peer commentary forthcoming in: American Journal of Bioethics – Neuroscience, 4/1 (2013).
3. „Toward a Legitimate Public Policy on Cognition-Enhancement Drugs”, American Journal of Bioethics – Neuroscience, 3/3 (July-September 2012), pp. 29-33; ; available here.
4. „Principles of Justice as the Basis for Public Policy on Psychopharmacological Cognitive Enhancement“, Law, Innovation and Technology, 4/1 (2012), pp. 67-83;
5. „A Theoretical Investigation of Principles of Justice as Criteria for Assessing Psycho-pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement”, Research abstract published in: American Journal of Bioethics – Neuroscience, 3/3 (July-September 2012), p. 34;
6. „How to understand Rawls's Law of Peoples”, forthcoming in: Studies in Social and Political Thought, Vol. 20 (2012);
7. „Razlika između pravde i legitimnosti kao osnova za tumačenje Rolsovog Prava Naroda” (The difference between justice and legitimacy as the basis for an interpretation of Rawls' Law of Peoples), Političke perspektive, 4 (October-December 2012), pp. 45-71.
8. „Moralnost, religioznost i politička kultura tolerancije“ (Morality, Religion and the Political Culture of Tolerance), Religion and Tolerance, CEIR, 9/16 (July-December 2011), pp. 245-256;
9. „Habermasova teza o skromnosti i Rolsova koncepcija četiri uloge političke filozofije“ (Habermas’s Criticism of Justice as Fairness and Rawls's Distinction of Four Roles for Political Philosophy), in Nauka i politika, Filozofski fakultet Istočno Sarajevo; 2011; 4/2; pp. 195-204.
10. „Etika diskursa Jirgena Habermasa i odnos prema savremenoj nauci“ (Discourse Ethics of Jürgen Habermas in Relation to Contemporary Science), in Interdisciplinarnost i jedinstvo savremene nauke, Filozofski fakultet Istočno Sarajevo; 2010; 4/2; pp. 133-142.
11. „Rolsova formulacija i reformulacija ideje javnog uma” (The Formulation and Reformulation of Rawls's Idea of Public Reason), in Pravni život, Mt. Kopaonik School of Natural Law, No. 12/2010, pp. 737-758.
12. „Primena utilitarističke analize” (The Application of Utilitarian analysis); in Poslovna ekonomija, Univerzitet Educons, Sremska Kamenica, No. 1/2010, pp. 151-167.
13. „Primena Kantovog kategoričkog imperativa“ (The Application of Categorical Imperative), in Evropska zajednica naroda i univerzalne vrednosti, NATEF, Novi Sad, 2010, pp. 127-147.
14. „Filozofija prava Jirgena Habermasa” (The Philosophy of Law of Jürgen Habermas), in Pravni život, Mt. Kopaonik School of Natural Law, No. 14/2009, pp. 595-609.
15. „Legitimnost i tržišni model savremene pluralističke demokratije“ (Legitimacy and the Economic Model of Pluralist Democracy); in Poslovna ekonomija, Univerzitet Educons, Sremska Kamenica, 2/2009, pp. 200-218.
16. Priručnik za polaganje prijemnog ispita (Students handbook for university entrance exam), coauthorship with Aleksandra Jovanović, Fakultet za uslužni biznis – Educons Univerzitet, Sremska Kamenica, 3 editions: 2007, 2008, 2009.
17. „Kako tumačiti Habermasovu kritiku Rolsove koncepcije pravde“ (How to Interpret Habermas’ Critique of “Justice as Fairness”), in Pravni život, Mt. Kopaonik School of Natural Law, 14/2008, pp. 335-356.
18. „Primena Rolsovih principa pravde kroz pojmove racionalno i razložno“ (The Application of “Justice as Fairness” through Notions of the Rational and the Reasonable), in Pravni život, Mt. Kopaonik School of Natural Law, 2007, pp. 399- 414.
19. „Organizaciona pravda“ (Organizational Justice); in Žurnal za sociologiju, No. 4, VSA, Novi Sad, 2006, pp. 76- 85.
20. „Moralnost i religioznost” (Morality and Religion); in Religije Balkana: iskustva i perpektive, Belgrade Open School, Beograd, 2002, pp. 180- 183.
21. „Sokrat” (Socrates); in Filozofija – problemski pristup, SSFF, Novi Sad, 2001, pp. 34- 44.
22. „Filozofija i moderna nauka” (Philosophy and Modern Science), in Filozofija – problemski pristup, SSFF, Novi Sad, 2001, pp. 140- 143.
23. „Problem metodike nastave filozofije” (Problems with Methods of Teaching Philosophy); in Filozofija – problemski pristup, SSFF, Novi Sad, 2001, pp. 206- 210.