Exploring Human Enhancement Technologies from a Human Rights´ legal basis perspective: A claim for transhumanism?

Abstract

This dissertation provides a reflective overview of HETs through the examination of diverse questions and issues needed to be addressed when performing an analysis of these technologies. Therefore, this dissertation tackles a set of questions that are interrelated and interdependent, resulting in a concrete argumentative thread that takes us from the generic considerations of HETs to the specificities of concrete enhancing technologies. The main research question of this dissertation is: What human rights can be used as a legal basis to justify the usage of specific HETs? Consequently, this research question draws its answer based on supplementary and equally important research questions addressed in this dissertation, inter alia: How do we frame a conversation about HETs and human rights? What matters must be considered when analyzing these HETs? What are the state´s postures towards HETs? What are the regulatory instruments containing legal basis for the use of HETs? What are the consequences of using human rights as a legal basis for the usage of HETs in terms of the state´s human rights obligations? The former questions contribute to present HETs with an original and innovative approach based on thematic scenarios providing the landscape and background of HETs and setting the context for subsequent analysis of specific enhancing technologies.