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Transhumanism

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Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics

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Abstract

Transhumanism is an intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the desirability, if not the obligation, to use emerging technologies to transcend the limitation of our bodies and brains for the improvement of the human condition. The potential transition from humanity to posthumanity, however, cannot be limited to the concerns of the few who have access to enhancement technologies. For this reason, this entry locates the debates over transhumanism and its social and ethical implications within the context of globalization and global bioethics in particular. First, an overview of the early conceptualization of transhumanism is provided, followed by an analysis of the nature and goals of transhumanism as understood today, and then an account of the particular milieu in which bioethics and transhumanism emerged in the context of globalization. Subsequently, the relationship between values and technological progress is discussed, which sets the stage of an examination of the question concerning the alteration of human nature and an overview of the social implications of emerging technologies for extension of human life beyond biology.

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Acknowledgment

Some of the elements of this chapter are based on Jotterand, F. Book review in the Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, Allen Buchanan (2011). Beyond Humanity? Oxford: Oxford University Press. Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews [with permission].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Care Ethics, Regis University, Denver, CO, USA

    Fabrice Jotterand & Jennifer L. McCurdy

  2. Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056, Basel, Switzerland

    Fabrice Jotterand

Authors
  1. Fabrice Jotterand
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  2. Jennifer L. McCurdy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fabrice Jotterand .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Duquesne University Center for Healthcare Ethics, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Henk ten Have

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Jotterand, F., McCurdy, J.L. (2015). Transhumanism. In: ten Have, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_423-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_423-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05544-2

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