Affective Computer Brain Interfaces and Moral Enhancement: Issues of Control and Acquired vs Infused Virtue

In this paper I will explore the use of computer brain interfaces (CBIs) for moral enhancement. One of the types of enhancement that will be discussed is a reduction of violence. However, this raises questions about control and free will, so while there may be solid philosophical reasons to prohibit requiring this kind of moral enhancement, there may be compelling theological reasons why people might choose voluntarily to do so. The concluding section will focus on the relationship between moral enhancement and virtue. While there is not universal consensus, there does seem to be some agreement amongst scholars that using gene editing for moral enhancement cannot engineer virtue. The question posed here is whether CBIs and their use can bring about virtue, or if they simply allow people to act more morally. My tentative answer is that this is more complicated of an answer than with gene editing.