Nanotechnology: Considering the Complex Ethical, Legal, and Societal Issues with the Parameters of Human Performance

• DOI: 10.1007/s11569-008-0047-6
• Publication Date: 2008-12-02T15:43:50Z
• Authors: Linda MacDonald G...; Jeanann S. Boyce
• Keywords: 06 humanities and the arts; 0603 philosophy, ethics and religion

Keywords Nanoethics.Enhancement.ELSI.Ethical.Legal.SocialimplicationsofnanotechnologyIntroductionExamining nanotechnology as a platform technology,as a technology that readily merges and convergeswith other technologies, allows us to contemplate theapplications and implications of using these tinydevices to enhance or extend human capabilities.The contemplation of the intended and unintendedconsequences of human enhancement begs for strik-ing a balance between opposing forces; and theseforces are not static but dynamic and ever changing.The law is not static: it is constantly subject tochange, extension and interpretation, and evolution,whether by legislation or judicial decisions. So, it iswith this point of view in mind, that thus we examineboth the positive and the negative aspects of theethical, legal, and societal implications of usingnanotechnology for human enhancement. First, weconsider why nanotechnology is different fromprevious technologies, and then we explain why asubdivision of nanoethics within the broader disci-pline of bioethics is prudent. In sections three, four,and five, we consider the possible benefits, potentialrisks, and distinctions between therapy and enhance-ment. Finally in sections six and seven, we examinethe status of current laws and make recommendatonsfor how to go about updating them.How Small is Nano-sized and Why Does SizeMatter?The term ‘nano’ has become part of everydaylanguage, although it is often somewhat misused.From the IPod Nano (an illustration that the market-ing industry is not above exploiting the term ‘nano’for commercial gain) to the phrase ‘I’ll be there in anano,’ the term has become a popular expression of