Monday, February 09, 2009

Global Spiral Publishes Ten Defenses of Transhumanism


I personally think the whole transhumanism thing (or at least the "singularity" part of it) is a load of wishful thinking, at least in my lifetime. But there are many versions of transhumanist thought, and many more people who buy into the whole idea.

I'm not opposed to altering human beings with technology, as long as it's in our best interest as individuals, but there needs to be some ethical guidelines that currently do not exist.

Anyway, I offer you this.

Global Spiral Publishes Ten Defenses of Transhumanism


Posted: Feb 6, 2009

In its “Special Issue on Transhumanism”, the magazine Global Spiral gave guest editor Hava Tirosh-Samuelson and five other authors - Ted Peters, Katherine Hayles, Don Ihde, Jean-Pierre Dupuy, and Andrew Pickering - all participants in a Templeton Foundation-funded project on transhumanism - an opportunity to critique transhumanism’s alleged faults. This responsive second Special Issue on Transhumanism is an opportunity for ten transhumanist authors - seven of them members of the IEET community - to evaluate the criticisms and address concerns.

Nick Bostrom (IEET): “In Defense of Posthuman Dignity”

Max More: “True Transhumanism”

Aubrey de Grey (IEET): Aubrey de Grey’s Declaration

Natasha Vita-More (IEET): Bringing Arts/Sciences and Design Into the Discussion of Transhumanism

Russell Blackford (IEET): Trite Truths About Technology: A Reply to Ted Peters

Sky Marsen: Conceptualizing Future Identities

Michael LaTorra (IEET): Transhumanism: Threat or Menace? A Response to Andrew Pickering

Mark Walker (IEET): Ship of Fools: Why Transhumanism is the Best Bet to Prevent the Extinction of Civilization

Amara Graps: Reproductive Choices: The Promising Landscape of Assisted Reproductive Technology

Martine Rothblatt (IEET): From Mind Loading to Mind Cloning – Gene to Meme to Beme: A Perspective on the Nature of Humanity

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