Dr Neil Levy, The Oxford Centre for Neuroethics, University of Oxford

Abstract: In this paper I aim to explain what I call the excess opposition to cognitive enhancement: that is, the fact that people tend to be more worried about cognitive enhancement then other kinds. I argue that this excess opposition is the product of the fact that cognitive enhancement causes unease, because it violates our intuitive (substance) dualism. I present anthropological and experimental evidence for intuitive dualism, and explore methods of testing the hypothesis empirically.