Ethical issues in moral and social enhancement

8.3.5. Is enhancing individual moral agency self-indulgent? 
What should be the place of enhancing individual moral agency in addressing 
problems such as global poverty and racism? Harris argues that
‘Douglas and indeed Savulescu and Persson … are taking an 
excessively (one might say ‘obsessively’) individualist view of the 
way to solve, not Chloe’s problem that is indeed a problem, but 
rather the way to solve or help solve global poverty. … 
Addressing the problem of global poverty … is, I suggest, insane 
to leave to personal altruism. We should not worry too much 
about Chloe’s weakness of will! (… ) In a real sense it is gross 
self-indulgence, not to mention self-defeating, to try to address 
these big problems at the level of individual morality. Let’s leave 
poor Chloe alone and think about addressing these important 
problems at the level of policy and indeed of government or 
better, at a combined governmental, truly international, level. ’ 
(pp. 289-290) 
The present thesis, with its focus on the individual dimensions of biomedical 
emotion modification, is open to Harris’ charge of self-indulgence. I am neither 
suggesting that issues such as global poverty, climate change and the provision of 
healthcare are to be left to individual altruism nor up to individual morality. The 
focus on individual agency need not happen to the exclusion of collective 
solutions.
62
The collective effort would be aided by lessening the hold of akrasia on 
morally good action – whether as a result of more active participation in the 
creation of the collective solutions Harris is talking about or even less active 
agreement and support for measures such as taxation. Even if governmental or 
supra-governmental action is what is required, someone has to make the collective 
solutions happen – and it will be the Chloe’s of the world who already comprise – 
and will continue to comprise – the bulk of the public support for such measures, 
62
Savulescu and Persson also propose that MB happens alongside collective and political 
solutions. 

---

219 
who campaign and pressure the governments, who create easier ways for the less 
concerned to add to the collective effort and who spearhead that change.
MB alone will not solve the great global problems, but facilitating individuals 
acting on the moral beliefs they already hold is a valuable way of working towards 
that change. The means that facilitate moral agency are varied: increasing political