A New Perspective on Humanity in the Cosmic Future: A Critical Reflection on Some Transhumanist Visions
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Martin Farbák
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Zlatica Plašienková
Abstract
The authors of this article critically consider selected transhumanist views of new perspectives on humanity in the cosmic future. Their focus is on philosophical and ethical thinking about the futuristic concepts of Cyborgs and Cosmic Beings promoted by Ted Chu. They weight up the possible negative consequences of radical human enhancement and analyse the utilitarian roots of the conceptions discussed. The theory of planetary and cosmic personality appears to be a safer alternative to radical human enhancement but they also pinpoint drawbacks to the theory. The authors conclude that a more conservative and authentic approach to human enhancement is found in the truly human enhancement proposed by Nicholas Agar and consider life-centred ethics an appropriate ethical standpoint in the search for humans’ place in the cosmic future.
Funding source: Slovak Research and Development Agency
Award Identifier / Grant number: APVV-18-0103: Paradigmatic Changes in the Understanding of Universe and Man from Philosophical, Theological, and Physical Perspectives.
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Research funding: This research was funded by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under contract no. APVV-18-0103: Paradigmatic Changes in the Understanding of Universe and Man from Philosophical, Theological, and Physical Perspectives.
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Declaration: All individuals listed as authors qualify as authors and have approved the submitted version. Their work is original and is not under consideration by any other journal. They have permission to reproduce any previously published material.
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© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Cosmos and Humanity: Historical and Contemporary Paradigms of Understanding
- Research Articles
- Does God Micromanage the World? Learning about the Cosmos from the Book of Job
- Anthropomorphic Motifs in Ancient Greek Ideas on the Origin of the Cosmos
- The Meaning of Human Life in the Context of the Evolution of the Universe: V. I. Vernadsky and P. Teilhard De Chardin
- Pragmatist Empiricism (Towards a Conception of Human Being)
- A New Perspective on Humanity in the Cosmic Future: A Critical Reflection on Some Transhumanist Visions
- Conception of Human Being in Analytical Idealism: How Human and Cosmos are Interlinked Through Consciousness
- Challenges of Transhumanism for Virtue Ethics
- Whitehead’s Organic Conception of Humanity. Beyond Mechanistic Philosophy in an Age of Transhumanism
- Philosophical Objections to Media Contexts of Terraforming
- Book Review
- Plašienková, Z: Paradigmatické zmeny v chápaní kozmologickej a antropologickej problematiky: minulosť a súčasnosť
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Cosmos and Humanity: Historical and Contemporary Paradigms of Understanding
- Research Articles
- Does God Micromanage the World? Learning about the Cosmos from the Book of Job
- Anthropomorphic Motifs in Ancient Greek Ideas on the Origin of the Cosmos
- The Meaning of Human Life in the Context of the Evolution of the Universe: V. I. Vernadsky and P. Teilhard De Chardin
- Pragmatist Empiricism (Towards a Conception of Human Being)
- A New Perspective on Humanity in the Cosmic Future: A Critical Reflection on Some Transhumanist Visions
- Conception of Human Being in Analytical Idealism: How Human and Cosmos are Interlinked Through Consciousness
- Challenges of Transhumanism for Virtue Ethics
- Whitehead’s Organic Conception of Humanity. Beyond Mechanistic Philosophy in an Age of Transhumanism
- Philosophical Objections to Media Contexts of Terraforming
- Book Review
- Plašienková, Z: Paradigmatické zmeny v chápaní kozmologickej a antropologickej problematiky: minulosť a súčasnosť
