Groundwork for human nature developmentalism

Abstract

This article introduces Human Nature Developmentalism (HND), a normative framework that views human beings as creative purposive agents and assesses the moral permissibility of biomedical interventions based on their contribution to human flourishing. Positioned between transhumanism and bioconservatism, HND recognises human nature as both fixed and dynamic. It argues that what matters is not the means by which we alter our nature, but the ethical considerations involved. Accordingly, HND upholds the principle that biomedical interventions are morally permissible if and only if they increment our developmental power or otherwise contribute to our flourishing as creative purposive agents.