Page 36 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 13
P. 36
ethical dilemmas incurred by this worldview, References
modeling a pattern of caution in appropriating Bostrom, N. & Cirkovic, M. eds. (2008): Global Catastro-
Transhumanist values. It is crucial that Christi- phic Risk. Oxford University Press.
an theologians and churchmen take Transhu- Bostrom, N. & Savulescu, J. eds. (2009): Human Enhan-
cement. Oxford University Press.
manism and its aims seriously, recognizing how Burdett, M. (2015): Eschatology and the Technological
its philosophy and values permeate global cul- Future. Routledge.
ture and shape everyday life already. Globally, More, M. & Vita-More, N. eds. (2013): The Transhuma-
humanity views technology in generally positive nist Reader. Wiley-Blackwell.
terms. Technology promises efficiency and pro- Schnider, S, ed. (2016): Science Fiction and Philosophy:
From Time Travel to Superintelligence, second edition.
ductivity. It enhances convenience and enables Wiley-Blackwell.
mass consumption for many. Since Transhuma- Thweatt-Bates, J. (2012): Cyborg Selves: A Theological
nism harnesses technology as a key component, Anthropology of the Posthuman. Ashgate.
all of the positive public image of technology Waters, B. (2006): From Human to Posthuman: Christian
becomes imported into Transhumanism’s pu- Theology and Technology in a Postmodern World. Ash-
gate.
blic image. Thus, it is not hard to see Transhu-
manism as desirable. But Transhumanism is not
simply a worldview of incredible potential. It is
a worldview that is loaded with much risk of the
global catastrophic sort.
I am grateful that there appears to be a strong
contingent of Transhumanist adherents and
those from other worldviews, such as the Chri-
stian worldview, who are taking the potential
and the risk of this worldview seriously, are en-
gaging in a global conversation of how to nego-
tiate a future that will invite humans to express
sorts of morphological freedom and augmenta-
tion, in order to navigate an increasingly com-
plex reality, one in which not just the Creator/
creation/creature distinction is increasingly
blurred, but a blur of the material/immaterial
reality will exist, as alternate realities like virtual
and digital realities become integrated within
material reality and become not just a common
but a normative mode of existence.
34