Page - 147 - in Cyborg Mind - What Brain–Computer and Mind–Cyberspace Interfaces Mean for Cyberneuroethics

Cyberneuroethics • 147 Such questions relating to a person’s identity demonstrate why ethical dilemmas resulting from the potential use of neuronal interfaces need to be carefully considered, since challenges may arise if an appliance significantly changes some of the different identities of the person.194 Questions can then be asked as to who the real person actually is and whether he or she would still be free to be who he or she really is, both before or after the appliance is used. For instance, in certain cases, narrative identities may be changed by affecting a human being’s self-conception, while in other situations, the numerical psychological identity may change, even though the biological identity may remain the same. Yet, as already mentioned, to a certain extent, changing and reshaping the different aspects of the identity of a person is something that is continuously taking place in every person. Identity and Autonomy The identity of persons is usually recognised to be closely associated with their sense of autonomy, which reflects an ability to act for specific and understandable reasons rather than just following instructions given by others without reflection. This ability enables individuals to develop a sense of ‘who they are’ and be ‘true to themselves’, while also determining the way in which others may recognise these persons. Many cultures place a high value on the sense of self and the ability to exercise autonomy because it enables the development of a meaningful iden- tity, while allowing relationships with others that are generally seen as impor- tant to living a fulfilling human life.195 This means that an adequate ethical framework must be sensitive to this identity arising from the autonomy of a person existing in the setting of an interdependence of individuals.196 Identity and the Human Brain The human brain is central to any discussion of identity because it is often characterised as the organ enabling the person, as such, to be integrated as a whole and over time through his or her capacity to be self-aware, decide actions and pursue relationships with others. Unfortunately, however, some brain dysfunctions may interfere with a person’s ability to form and maintain a connected sense of self over time at the most fundamental level. For instance, when persons experiences seri- ous permanent memory loss, this may, to a certain extent, have serious consequences on their sense of identity and who they are.197 As already mentioned, a person’s memories play an important role in his or her psychological identity, even though it may not always be possible to This open access edition has been made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license thanks to the support of Knowledge Unlatched. Not for resale.