Abstract

The difference between therapy and enhancement seems crucial as a criterion of legitimacy for the interventions on human body. Distinguishing between therapeutic interventions and improvements is essential for public instituions and for healthcare personnel who, by using this criterion, can orient themselves in daily practice. Despite the large body of work devoted to the search of this criterion, there is no agreement on the issue. Indeed, as we try to show, the analysis of the difference between therapy and enhancement does not seem to come up with anything conclusive. The purpose of the article is to suggest the concept of autonomy as a valid criterion in order to distinguish between the two notions.