ABSTRACT
Ethics and religious scholars readily acknowledge that the science of neurogenetic engineering forces us to inquire more deeply about what it means to be human, what the proper limits for research are and what the moral status of the essential self is. The ultimate goals of neurogenetic interventions determine their morality. Ethical, legal and social analysis of the neurosciences has primarily been secular. Not much has been written from the religious or spiritual perspectives. Eastern and Western religious understanding of personhood and the body-soul connection can inform us about the ethical limits of neurogenetic interventions. These religious and cultural traditions critique a reductionist approach to the body and the brain as well as regarding enhancement. This paper looks for points of convergence and diversities among Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism on the ethics of neurogenetics. Thus, this effort may potentially contribute toward cooperation envisioned by the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights.
