A Case for Memory Enhancement

The desire to enhance and make ourselves better is not a new one and it has continued to intrigue throughout the ages. Individuals have continued to seek ways to improve and enhance their well-being. Crucial to this improvement of their well-being is improving their ability to remember. Hence, people interested in improving their well-being, are often interested in memory as well. The rationale being that memory is crucial to our well-being. The desire to improve one s memory then is almost certainly as old as the desire to improve one s well-being. In an attempt to enhance their memories, traditionally people have used means such as storytelling, mnemonics, nutrition, external aids, rituals, rites, etc. In this book, I will make a case for memory enhancement (ME). In doing so, I will assess the ethical, social, legal, policy (ESLP) implications arising from ME. My analysis will draw on the already existing literature for and against enhancement, but it will be novel in providing a much more in-depth analysis of ME. I will address the question how we enhance the memory, then, examine, and evaluate critically specific ESLP issues that arise with the use of ME.