Abstract

The chapter addresses mood enhancement from an ethical perspective. First it examines five versions of the side-effects critique. By focusing on individual autonomy and on medical supervision most of these criticisms are avoidable. Secondly, the paper focuses on some social problems that follow on from access to mood enhancement, arguing that while there are ways to overcome them, they raise other problems. Thirdly, it examines issues of normalization, coercion and paternalism, and fourthly, some criticisms on the grounds of loss of authenticity.