Truly Human Enhancement

Truly Human Enhancement Book in PDF, ePub and Kindle version is available to download in english. Read online anytime anywhere directly from your device. Click on the download button below to get a free pdf file of Truly Human Enhancement book. This book definitely worth reading, it is an incredibly well-written.

Truly Human Enhancement

Nicholas Agar
Truly Human Enhancement Book PDF

Author : Nicholas Agar
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 233 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2023-09-19
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262549202

Get Book

Truly Human Enhancement by Nicholas Agar Pdf

A nuanced discussion of human enhancement that argues for enhancement that does not significantly exceed what is currently possible for human beings. The transformative potential of genetic and cybernetic technologies to enhance human capabilities is most often either rejected on moral and prudential grounds or hailed as the future salvation of humanity. In this book, Nicholas Agar offers a more nuanced view, making a case for moderate human enhancement—improvements to attributes and abilities that do not significantly exceed what is currently possible for human beings. He argues against radical human enhancement, or improvements that greatly exceed current human capabilities. Agar explores notions of transformative change and motives for human enhancement; distinguishes between the instrumental and intrinsic value of enhancements; argues that too much enhancement undermines human identity; considers the possibility of cognitively enhanced scientists; and argues against radical life extension. Making the case for moderate enhancement, Agar argues that many objections to enhancement are better understood as directed at the degree of enhancement rather than enhancement itself. Moderate human enhancement meets the requirement of truly human enhancement. By radically enhancing human cognitive capabilities, by contrast, we may inadvertently create beings (“post-persons”) with moral status higher than that of persons. If we create beings more entitled to benefits and protections against harms than persons, Agar writes, this will be bad news for the unenhanced. Moderate human enhancement offers a more appealing vision of the future and of our relationship to technology.

Humanity's End

Nicholas Agar
Humanity s End Book PDF

Author : Nicholas Agar
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 229 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2013-08-16
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262525176

Get Book

Humanity's End by Nicholas Agar Pdf

An argument that achieving millennial life spans or monumental intellects will destroy values that give meaning to human lives. Proposals to make us smarter than the greatest geniuses or to add thousands of years to our life spans seem fit only for the spam folder or trash can. And yet this is what contemporary advocates of radical enhancement offer in all seriousness. They present a variety of technologies and therapies that will expand our capacities far beyond what is currently possible for human beings. In Humanity's End, Nicholas Agar argues against radical enhancement, describing its destructive consequences. Agar examines the proposals of four prominent radical enhancers: Ray Kurzweil, who argues that technology will enable our escape from human biology; Aubrey de Grey, who calls for anti-aging therapies that will achieve “longevity escape velocity”; Nick Bostrom, who defends the morality and rationality of enhancement; and James Hughes, who envisions a harmonious democracy of the enhanced and the unenhanced. Agar argues that the outcomes of radical enhancement could be darker than the rosy futures described by these thinkers. The most dramatic means of enhancing our cognitive powers could in fact kill us; the radical extension of our life span could eliminate experiences of great value from our lives; and a situation in which some humans are radically enhanced and others are not could lead to tyranny of posthumans over humans.

Dialogues on Human Enhancement

Nicholas Agar
Dialogues on Human Enhancement Book PDF

Author : Nicholas Agar
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 167 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2023-09-14
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781000931051

Get Book

Dialogues on Human Enhancement by Nicholas Agar Pdf

We face an emerging range of technologies that can be applied to our human natures with the goal of enhancing us. There are nootropic smart drugs and gene editing that influence the development of the brain. The near future promises cybernetic technologies that can be grafted onto our brains and bodies. The challenge for readers of Dialogues on Human Enhancement is to decide how to respond to these and other coming enhancement technologies. As you read these dialogues you will meet passionate advocates for a variety of responses to enhancement tech, ranging from blanket rejection to ecstatic endorsement. You’ll encounter Olen, for whom there is no such thing as too much enhancement. You’ll meet Winston, a bioconservative who fiercely but also imaginatively opposes any human enhancement. And there is the moderate Eugenie, who strives to distinguish between enhancement technologies that should and should not be accepted. As these characters philosophically engage with each other they will benefit from the supervisory presence of Sophie, the philosopher. Dialogues on Human Enhancement does not arrive at a single conclusion. Olen’s transhumanism, Eugenie’s moderation, and Winston’s bioconservatism are presented as viable and necessary views as we enter a future made uncertain by human enhancement tech. And the book also welcomes the voices of students, even – and especially – if they challenge the opinions of our age’s experts. As students join the conversations in this book, they will formulate their own views about how humanity could or should be in our Age of Human Enhancement.

Liberal Eugenics

Nicholas Agar
Liberal Eugenics Book PDF

Author : Nicholas Agar
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 44,7 Mb
Release : 2008-04-15
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780470777572

Get Book

Liberal Eugenics by Nicholas Agar Pdf

In this provocative book, philosopher Nicholas Agar defends the idea that parents should be allowed to enhance their children’s characteristics. Gets away from fears of a Huxleyan ‘Brave New World’ or a return to the fascist eugenics of the past Written from a philosophically and scientifically informed point of view Considers real contemporary cases of parents choosing what kind of child to have Uses ‘moral images’ as a way to get readers with no background in philosophy to think about moral dilemmas Provides an authoritative account of the science involved, making the book suitable for readers with no knowledge of genetics Creates a moral framework for assessing all new technologies

Better Humans?

Michael Hauskeller
Better Humans Book PDF

Author : Michael Hauskeller
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2014-09-11
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781317547174

Get Book

Better Humans? by Michael Hauskeller Pdf

Developments in medical science have afforded us the opportunity to improve and enhance the human species in ways unthinkable to previous generations. Whether it's making changes to mitochondrial DNA in a human egg, being prescribed Prozac, or having a facelift, our desire to live longer, feel better and look good has presented philosophers, medical practitioners and policy-makers with considerable ethical challenges. But what exactly constitutes human improvement? What do we mean when we talk of making "better" humans? In this book Michael Hauskeller explores these questions and the ideas of human good that underpin them. Posing some challenging questions about the nature of human enhancement, he interrogates the logic behind its processes and examines the justifications behind its criteria. Questioning common assumptions about what constitutes human improvement, Hauskeller asks whether the criteria proposed by its advocates are convincing. The book draws on recent research as well as popular representations of human enhancement from advertising to the internet, and provides a non-technical and accessible survey of the issues for readers and students interested in the ethics and politics of human enhancement.

The Ethics of Human Enhancement

Steve Clarke,Julian Savulescu,C. A. J. Coady,Alberto Giubilini,Sagar Sanyal
The Ethics of Human Enhancement Book PDF

Author : Steve Clarke,Julian Savulescu,C. A. J. Coady,Alberto Giubilini,Sagar Sanyal
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 292 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2016
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9780198754855

Get Book

The Ethics of Human Enhancement by Steve Clarke,Julian Savulescu,C. A. J. Coady,Alberto Giubilini,Sagar Sanyal Pdf

An international team of ethicists refresh the debate about human enhancement by examining whether resistance to the use of technology to enhance our mental and physical capabilities can be supported by articulated philosophical reasoning, or explained away, e.g. in terms of psychological influences on moral reasoning.

Enhancing Me

Pete Moore
Enhancing Me Book PDF

Author : Pete Moore
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 276 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2008-05-27
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780470699997

Get Book

Enhancing Me by Pete Moore Pdf

Science is developing more and more potential for human beings to enhance themselves. The pace of change is rapid, and some people are already warning that we are heading for a post-human future populated by ever-lasting, self-sustaining intelligence systems into which the contents of a human mind have been poured... Is this true? In Enhancing Me, Pete Moore examines the ways in which technology can change our bodies, our brains, our emotions, and how long we live. He talks to people who have actually been 'enhanced' to find out what it's like and how beneficial it is; and to the experts to find out what the future holds - including a look at some of the more controversial, headline-grabbing claims. He also looks at what drives us to want to be 'superhuman', and the consequences for the individual and society alike: If you could live forever, would you want to? If you could download your mind onto a computer, would you still be you? Should we insert chips into our children, so we can track where they are? Should we force violent criminals to have mood-controlling brain implants? Would you want technology to improve your memory... or help you forget? If you've ever wondered - or worried - about the pace at which technology is progressing, then this book will give you an eye-opening glimpse of the future in this fascinating field. About the author Pete Moore has been a freelance science writer since 1993, and specialises in making 'academish' intelligible to people who only speak English! He has received seven national awards for his work, and has appeared on radio and television on 50 different occasions, discussing his books and related news events. He is a public speaker and a member of Toastmasters International; as well as a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a visiting lecturer in ethics at Trinity College Bristol, and a course tutor on the Science Communication MSc at the University of the West of England, Bristol.

Better Humans?

Michael Hauskeller
Better Humans Book PDF

Author : Michael Hauskeller
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 168 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2014-09-11
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781317547167

Get Book

Better Humans? by Michael Hauskeller Pdf

Developments in medical science have afforded us the opportunity to improve and enhance the human species in ways unthinkable to previous generations. Whether it's making changes to mitochondrial DNA in a human egg, being prescribed Prozac, or having a facelift, our desire to live longer, feel better and look good has presented philosophers, medical practitioners and policy-makers with considerable ethical challenges. But what exactly constitutes human improvement? What do we mean when we talk of making "better" humans? In this book Michael Hauskeller explores these questions and the ideas of human good that underpin them. Posing some challenging questions about the nature of human enhancement, he interrogates the logic behind its processes and examines the justifications behind its criteria. Questioning common assumptions about what constitutes human improvement, Hauskeller asks whether the criteria proposed by its advocates are convincing. The book draws on recent research as well as popular representations of human enhancement from advertising to the internet, and provides a non-technical and accessible survey of the issues for readers and students interested in the ethics and politics of human enhancement.

Future Humans

Tom Jackson
Future Humans Book PDF

Author : Tom Jackson
Publisher : QED Publishing
Page : 99 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2019-10-15
Category : Human beings
ISBN : 9780711244542

Get Book

Future Humans by Tom Jackson Pdf

What is transhumanism? What is AI? How are scientists developing ways to reach immortality? And should we even want to live forever? These questions are tackled as part of the What's the Issue? series - aimed at pre-teen and teens tackling current subjects, with a focus on critical thinking and debate, and forming one's own informed opinions.

Human Enhancement

Julian Savulescu,Nick Bostrom
Human Enhancement Book PDF

Author : Julian Savulescu,Nick Bostrom
Publisher : Oxford University Press on Demand
Page : 432 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2009-01-22
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9780199299720

Get Book

Human Enhancement by Julian Savulescu,Nick Bostrom Pdf

To what extent should we use technological advances to try to make better human beings? Leading philosophers debate the possibility of enhancing human cognition, mood, personality, and physical performance, and controlling aging. Would this take us beyond the bounds of human nature? These are questions that need to be answered now.

How to Be Human in the Digital Economy

Nicholas Agar
How to Be Human in the Digital Economy Book PDF

Author : Nicholas Agar
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 231 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2019-03-12
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9780262038744

Get Book

How to Be Human in the Digital Economy by Nicholas Agar Pdf

An argument in favor of finding a place for humans (and humanness) in the future digital economy. In the digital economy, accountants, baristas, and cashiers can be automated out of employment; so can surgeons, airline pilots, and cab drivers. Machines will be able to do these jobs more efficiently, accurately, and inexpensively. But, Nicholas Agar warns in this provocative book, these developments could result in a radically disempowered humanity. The digital revolution has brought us new gadgets and new things to do with them. The digital revolution also brings the digital economy, with machines capable of doing humans' jobs. Agar explains that developments in artificial intelligence enable computers to take over not just routine tasks but also the kind of “mind work” that previously relied on human intellect, and that this threatens human agency. The solution, Agar argues, is a hybrid social-digital economy. The key value of the digital economy is efficiency. The key value of the social economy is humanness. A social economy would be centered on connections between human minds. We should reject some digital automation because machines will always be poor substitutes for humans in roles that involve direct contact with other humans. A machine can count out pills and pour out coffee, but we want our nurses and baristas to have minds like ours. In a hybrid social-digital economy, people do the jobs for which feelings matter and machines take on data-intensive work. But humans will have to insist on their relevance in a digital age.

Religion and Human Enhancement

Tracy J. Trothen,Calvin Mercer
Religion and Human Enhancement Book PDF

Author : Tracy J. Trothen,Calvin Mercer
Publisher : Springer
Page : 377 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2017-09-17
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9783319624884

Get Book

Religion and Human Enhancement by Tracy J. Trothen,Calvin Mercer Pdf

This collection vigorously addresses the religious implications of extreme human enhancement technology. Topics covered include cutting edge themes, such as moral enhancement, common ground to both transhumanism and religion, the meaning of death, desire and transcendence, and virtue ethics. Radical enhancement programs, advocated by transhumanists, could arguably have a more profound impact than any other development in human history. Reflecting a range of opinion about the desirability of extreme enhancement, leading scholars in the field join with emerging scholars to foster enhanced conversation on these topics.

ELSI in Human Enhancement: What Distinguishes it from Therapy?

Dov Greenbaum,Laura Yenisa Cabrera
ELSI in Human Enhancement What Distinguishes it from Therapy Book PDF

Author : Dov Greenbaum,Laura Yenisa Cabrera
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
Page : 75 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2020-12-15
Category : Science
ISBN : 9782889662210

Get Book

ELSI in Human Enhancement: What Distinguishes it from Therapy? by Dov Greenbaum,Laura Yenisa Cabrera Pdf

This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact.

Radical Evolution

Joel Garreau
Radical Evolution Book PDF

Author : Joel Garreau
Publisher : Crown
Page : 402 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2006-05-09
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780767915038

Get Book

Radical Evolution by Joel Garreau Pdf

Taking us behind the scenes with today’s foremost researchers and pioneers, bestselling author Joel Garreau shows that we are at a turning point in history. At this moment we are engineering the next stage of human evolution. Through advances in genetic, robotic, information, and nanotechnologies, we are altering our minds, our memories, our metabolisms, our personalities, our progeny–and perhaps our very souls. Radical Evolution reveals that the powers of our comic-book superheroes already exist, or are in development in hospitals, labs, and research facilities around the country–from the revved-up reflexes and speed of Spider-Man and Superman, to the enhanced mental acuity and memory capabilities of an advanced species. Over the next fifteen years, Garreau makes clear in this New York Times Book Club premiere selection, these enhancements will become part of our everyday lives. Where will they lead us? To heaven–where technology’s promise to make us smarter, vanquish illness, and extend our lives is the answer to our prayers? Or, as some argue, to hell–where unrestrained technology brings about the ultimate destruction of our species?

Engineering the Human

Bert Jaap Koops,Christoph H. Lüthy,Annemiek Nelis,Carla Sieburgh,J.P.M. Jansen,Monika S. Schmid
Engineering the Human Book PDF

Author : Bert Jaap Koops,Christoph H. Lüthy,Annemiek Nelis,Carla Sieburgh,J.P.M. Jansen,Monika S. Schmid
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 200 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2013-02-12
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783642350962

Get Book

Engineering the Human by Bert Jaap Koops,Christoph H. Lüthy,Annemiek Nelis,Carla Sieburgh,J.P.M. Jansen,Monika S. Schmid Pdf

The volume is collection of articles treating the topic of human improvement/enhancement from a variety of perspectives – philosophical, literary, medical, genetic, sociological, legal etc. The chapters in this volume treat not only those aspects that most immediately come to mind when one thinks of ‘human enhancement’, such as genetic engineering, cloning, artificial implants and artificial intelligence etc. Somewhat less obvious aspects include evolutionary perspectives in connection with the prolongation of the human lifespan, plastic surgery since its beginnings, and questions such as whether the distinction between ‘natural’ and ‘artificial’ can really be drawn at all and how it has been conceived across the ages, or what the legal implications are of recent developments and techniques. Many papers make links to the representation of these developments in popular culture, from Jules Verne through Aldous Huxley to the movie Gattaca, address the hopes and fears that come with them as well as the question how realistic these are. While all chapters are written by scientists at the international top of their respective fields, all are accessible to a non-specialist audience and eminently readable. We believe that they represent a state-of-the art overview of questions that are of interest to a large audience. The book thus targets a non-specialist audience with an interest in philosophical, sociological, scientific and legal issues involved in both traditional and recent matters concerning the desire of mankind to improve itself, the human body, the human mind and the human condition. It is unique in that it brings together all these aspects within a coherent and cohesive collection.