Technologies of the Future Self

This volume is the first to articulate ethical foundations of transhumanism from perspectives focused on transhuman flourishing, as opposed to utilitarian or deontological approaches. Transhumanism is typically framed as a quest for “transcending biological limitations” and “unlocking human potential”—and thus perceived to be at odds with ethical conceptions of a “good life” that are substantively defined in terms of “human nature.” However, the concept of “human nature” is not a biological given but deeply bound up with metaphysical conceptions about what (trans)human futures are possible, desirable, and good. It invites ethical reflection on who we are, the value of embodiment and community to (trans)human existence, and who we might hope to become. The contributions collected in this volume offer a wide spectrum of visions for shaping the techno-progressive agenda of transhumanism in ethically grounded and socially responsible ways.

Georg Theiner is Associate Professor in Philosophy at Villanova University, USA.

Alcibiades Malapi-Nelson teaches Philosophy and Humanities at the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Humber Polytechnic, in Toronto, Canada.