Neuroenhancements: Evolution and perspectives Neuroenhancements: Evoluzione e prospettive

The word “neuroenhancement” indicates the strengthening of those fundamental processes and activities that are considered essential for a normal functioning, such as: memory, attention, problem solving, deductive skills, and so on. With the increasing development of neuroscience, it was believed that a change would come: thanks to the opportunity of observing the brain in vivo, it seemed possible to improve the cognitive functions of human beings. 􀀷􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁐􀁄􀁌􀁑􀀃􀁓􀁘􀁕􀁖􀁘􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁆􀁋􀁄􀁑􀁊􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁚􀁈􀁕􀁈􀀃􀁅􀁄􀁖􀁌􀁆􀁄􀁏􀁏􀁜􀀃􀁗􀁚􀁒􀀝􀀃􀁄􀀌􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁐􀁒􀁇􀁌􀂿􀁆􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀁖􀀒􀁄􀁇􀁇􀁌􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀁖􀀃􀁅􀁕􀁒􀁘􀁊􀁋􀁗􀀃􀁅􀁜􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁘􀁖􀁈􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁗􀁈􀁆􀁋􀁑􀁒􀁏􀁒􀁊􀁜􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁘􀁏􀁇􀀃 be implanted or stimulated directly in a person’s brain; b) there is a strong will to make those enhancements available to every able-bodied person. Nevertheless, the results shown by the research contradicted the expectations. The 􀁓􀁋􀁄􀁕􀁐􀁄􀁆􀁒􀁏􀁒􀁊􀁌􀁆􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁖􀁈􀁄􀁕􀁆􀁋􀀃􀁌􀁖􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁑􀁖􀁌􀁇􀁈􀁕􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁖􀁘􀁖􀁓􀁈􀁑􀁇􀁈􀁇􀀏􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁈􀁉􀁉􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁖􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁐􀁒􀁖􀁗􀀃􀁈􀁉􀂿􀁆􀁌􀁈􀁑􀁗􀀃􀁑􀁈􀁘􀁕􀁒􀁖􀁆􀁌􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁌􀂿􀁆􀀃􀁗􀁈􀁆􀁋􀁑􀁌􀁔􀁘􀁈􀁖􀀏􀀃􀁄􀁖􀀃 􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁗􀁕􀁄􀁑􀁖􀁆􀁕􀁄􀁑􀁌􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁐􀁄􀁊􀁑􀁈􀁗􀁌􀁆􀀃􀁖􀁗􀁌􀁐􀁘􀁏􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀃􀀋􀀷􀀰􀀶􀀌􀀏􀀃􀁏􀁄􀁖􀁗􀀃􀁅􀁕􀁌􀁈􀃀􀁜􀀑􀀃􀀰􀁒􀁕􀁈􀁒􀁙􀁈􀁕􀀏􀀃􀁈􀁙􀁈􀁑􀀃􀁐􀁒􀁕􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁑􀁈􀁘􀁕􀁒􀁈􀁑􀁋􀁄􀁑􀁆􀁈􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁖􀀏􀀃􀁚􀁋􀁌􀁆􀁋􀀃􀁄􀁌􀁐􀀃􀁗􀁒􀀃 increase pro- social attitudes and thoughts, are standstill and more and more discussed by neuroscience, philosophy and pedagogy. 􀀧􀁈􀁖􀁓􀁌􀁗􀁈􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁒􀁖􀁈􀀃􀂿􀁑􀁇􀁌􀁑􀁊􀁖􀀏􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁇􀁌􀁖􀁗􀁕􀁌􀁅􀁘􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀁖􀁈􀀃􀁐􀁈􀁄􀁑􀁖􀀏􀀃􀁐􀁒􀁖􀁗􀀃􀁌􀁐􀁓􀁒􀁕􀁗􀁄􀁑􀁗􀁏􀁜􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁓􀁋􀁄􀁕􀁐􀁄􀁆􀁒􀁏􀁒􀁊􀁌􀁆􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁒􀁑􀁈􀁖􀀏􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁑􀁗􀁌􀁑􀁘􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁊􀁕􀁒􀁚- ing, and it moreover has a great impact on scholastic literature and practice, contexts in which it is possible to

La parola neuroenhancement indica il potenziamento di quei processi e attività mentali fondamentali per un funzionamento considerato normale: memoria, attenzione, problem solving, capacità deduttive e così via. Con l’avvento delle neuroscienze si è creduto di arrivare ad una svolta: osservando il cervello in vivo, sembrava possibile 􀁓􀁒􀁗􀁈􀁑􀁝􀁌􀁄􀁕􀁈􀀃􀁓􀁌􀁿􀀃􀁈􀁉􀂿􀁆􀁄􀁆􀁈􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁈􀀃􀁏􀁈􀀃􀁉􀁄􀁆􀁒􀁏􀁗􀁪􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁊􀁑􀁌􀁗􀁌􀁙􀁈􀀃􀁇􀁈􀁏􀁏􀂶􀁄􀁑􀁌􀁐􀁄􀁏􀁈􀀃􀁘􀁒􀁐􀁒􀀑􀀃􀀧􀁘􀁈􀀃􀁌􀀃􀁓􀁕􀁌􀁑􀁆􀁌􀁓􀁄􀁏􀁌􀀃􀁆􀁄􀁐􀁅􀁌􀁄􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁌􀀃􀁄􀁓􀁓􀁒􀁕􀁗􀁄􀁗􀁌􀀝􀀃􀁄􀀌􀀃􀁏􀁈􀀃 􀁐􀁒􀁇􀁌􀂿􀁆􀁋􀁈􀀒􀁄􀁊􀁊􀁌􀁘􀁑􀁗􀁈􀀃􀁄􀁓􀁓􀁒􀁕􀁗􀁄􀁗􀁈􀀃􀁇􀁄􀁏􀁏􀁄􀀃􀁗􀁈􀁆􀁑􀁒􀁏􀁒􀁊􀁌􀁄􀀃􀁖􀁄􀁕􀁈􀁅􀁅􀁈􀁕􀁒􀀃􀁌􀁐􀁓􀁌􀁄􀁑􀁗􀁄􀁗􀁈􀀃􀁒􀀃􀁖􀁒􀁏􀁏􀁈􀁆􀁌􀁗􀁄􀁗􀁈􀀃􀁑􀁈􀁏􀀃􀁆􀁈􀁕􀁙􀁈􀁏􀁏􀁒􀀃􀁇􀁌􀀃􀁘􀁑􀀃􀁌􀁑􀁇􀁌􀁙􀁌􀁇􀁘􀁒􀀞􀀃􀁅􀀌􀀃􀁖􀁌􀀃 vorrebbe che questi miglioramenti fossero disponibili anche per soggetti normodotati. Lo stato della ricerca non è però roseo come era stato auspicato