Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In “Prescription for Love: An Experimental Investigation of Laypeople’s Relative Moral Disapproval of Love Drugs,” Lantian, Boudesseul, and Cova (2024) explore the moral implications of hypothetical romantic love-enhancing biotechnological interventions. Their study reveals “love drugs” (LDs) are viewed as less acceptable than psychological therapy due to the perceived inauthenticity of the resulting feelings. This highlights the importance of authenticity and naturalness in moral evaluations of emotion. However, we suggest the distinction between organic and artificial experiences is less clear than it seems, and that humans can draw meaning from many situations. Drawing parallels with psychedelic-assisted therapy, we propose emotions from LDs could also be meaningful and authentic, if they foster long-term positive change and align with personal beliefs and desires. Feelings we characterize as natural are also shaped by external stimuli that influence brain function. Where LDs can support transformative, meaningful experiences, they should not be viewed as immoral.
Source: AJOB Neuroscience
Authors: Owen Thomas, Francisca Silva
Institution: University of Oxford
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4411344910