Transhumanism: Entering an Era of Bodyhacking and Radical Human Modification (The International Library of Bioethics, 100)

This book surveys the distinctions that underlie the unbound potential and existential risks of life expansion and radical modifications posed by a transhuman world. Humanness is in flux as human bodies are being hacked and altered in their quest for super wellness, super intelligence and super longevity. Now is the time to discuss how best to think about dealing with bodies that have been hacked to exceed natural physical limits or more technically, species typical functioning. Enter the advent of transhumanism to take uncertainty by the horns. According to transhumanists, death is unnecessary and medical conventions undermine the possibility to radically evolve. To biohackers, there is no need to wait to explore the risks that conventional medicine dares not. This book is of interest to anyone interested in tapping into this growing movement of modifying the human body as it is right now. Contents Editors and Contributors 1 Introduction References 2 Pragmatism and Transhumanism 2.1 Introduction 2.2 William James 2.3 Charles S. Peirce 2.4 Richard Rorty References 3 Beyond Disintegration: Transhumanism and Enactivism 3.1 Introduction 3.2 What Is Enactivism? 3.3 The Whole and Its Parts: Organisational Integrity 3.4 Bound(ed) Flesh: Embodiment 3.5 Life as Perpetual Struggle: Precariousness 3.6 Concluding Remarks References 4 Overcoming (Our) Nature: Transhumanism and the Redefinition of Human Being’s Essence 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Yet Nothing Uncannier Than Man: Human Being as Deinon and Phusis as the Overwhelming Sway 4.3 Fixing the Flawed: Transhumanism’s Assault Against Phusis 4.4 Positionality as the Essence of Technology: Phusis and Human Positioning 4.5 Crossing the Last Frontier: Death in Transhumanism and Heidegger’s Thought 4.6 Concluding Remarks: As Mortals Gaze at Death References 5 Mens Humana in Corpore Humano—Body-Hacking the Human Experience 5.1 Embodying Transhumanism 5.2 Transhumanisms 5.3 Human by Experience, or Why Transhumanism is not a Threat 5.4 Human Bodies and Embodied Humans 5.5 Disembodied Societies 5.5.1 All Posthumans Are Created Unequal 5.5.2 Losing Common Ground 5.5.3 The Many Pitfalls of Implementing Eutopias 5.5.4 The Voyage Home References 6 Evolving the Natural-Born Cyborg 6.1 Transhumanism 6.2 The Natural-Born Cyborg 6.3 Crossing the Line Between Natural-Born Cyborgs and Transhumanism 6.4 Computer-Mediated Reality and the Impact of Modern Technology 6.5 Virtual Reality as an Alternative to Transhumanism 6.6 Conclusion References 7 The Transhuman in the Workplace: Maximising Autonomy and Avoiding the Tyranny of Optimisation 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Transhumanism and Bioethics 7.2.1 The So-Called “Wisdom of Repugnance” 7.2.2 The Treatment-Enhancement Distinction 7.2.3 Fostering Inequality: The H+ Haves and the H Have-Nots 7.2.4 Autonomy, Liberty, and Informed Consent 7.3 The Inevitability of Enhancement 7.4 Promoting Human Flourishing for the Transhuman Employee 7.4.1 Work Smarter, not Harder 7.4.2 Work Safer 7.5 Protecting Worker Rights for the Enhanced and the Unenhanced 7.5.1 Protecting Equality of Opportunity 7.5.2 Avoiding the Tyranny of Optimisation 7.5.3 Protecting Authenticity of Desire 7.6 Conclusion References 8 Transhumanism—Agency Enhancement 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Failures of Agency 8.3 Enhancing Agency 8.4 Enhancement Versus Therapy? 8.5 Enhancement as Improvement 8.6 Distinguishing Agential Enhancement from Other Types of Enhancement 8.6.1 Distinguish Agential Enhancement from Cognitive Enhancement 8.6.2 Distinguish Agential Enhancement from Moral Enhancement 8.7 Can Agency Be Enhanced? Ought We Spend Time Thinking About It? 8.8 Case Study: Enhancing Desire 8.8.1 Desirable Properties of Desires 8.8.2 Multidimensional Desire Enhancement 8.9 Conclusion References 9 Embodiment Diffracted: Queering and Cripping Morphological Freedom 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Biohackers 9.3 Body Modders 9.4 Trans Communities 9.5 Disability Communities 9.6 Care 9.7 Conclusion References 10 Posthuman Ethics: The Priority of Ethical Over Ontological Status 10.1 Introduction 10.2 The Question of Subjectivity and Moral Status of Novel Beings 10.3 The Development of Posthuman Ethics from the Postmodern Idea of Subjectivity 10.4 Conclusion References 11 Can Posthumanism Be Post-sexist? 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Biohacking as a Biopolitical Practice 11.3 Biohacking as a (Feminist) Social Movement 11.4 Feminist Posthumanism and Political Biohacking Ways References 12 Ectogenesis and the Ethics of New Reproductive Technologies for Space Exploration 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Ectogenesis and Transhumanism 12.2.1 Benefits of Ectogenesis 12.2.2 The Ectogenetic Transhuman 12.2.3 Conflation with Enhancement and Genetic Engineering 12.2.4 Bioconservative Objections 12.3 Ectogenesis for Space Exploration 12.3.1 Practical Benefits of the Base Technology for Space 12.3.2 Benefits of Ectogenesis for Biological Modification 12.3.3 The Spacefaring Ectogenetic Transhuman 12.4 Ethical Regulation of Ectogenesis for Space Exploration 12.5 Conclusion References Outro—Short Story: Space Oddity Syndrome by Chris Hables Gray The Smell of Space The Taste of Space The Feel of Infinity The Stink of Radiation The Look of Death Index