Religious transhumanism and its critics / edited by Arvin M. Gouw, Brian Patrick Green, Ted Peters.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Bloomsbury (Firm), publisher.

Series:

Religion and science as a critical discourse.

Religion and science as a critical discourse

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Transhumanism--Religious aspects.

Transhumanism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (489 pages)

Distribution:

New York : Bloomsbury Publishing (US), 2022.

Place of Publication:

[S.l.] : LEXINGTON BOOKS, 2022.

Summary:

"In this book, the contributors examine how various religious traditions engage with transhumanism and its vision for the future"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Cover

Half Title

Series Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

Series Editor Foreword

Foreword

Preface

The Posthuman Is Post-What?

Critical Public Theology

Transhumanism: What Does It Mean?

From the Anthropocene to the Technosapien Period

Public Theologians and Religious Transhumanists

Notes

Part I: Techno-Utopia? Where Are Transhumanists Leading Us?

Chapter 1: Homo Deus or Frankenstein's Monster?: Religious Transhumanism and Its Critics

From the Human to the Posthuman via the Transhuman

Cybernetic Immortality and Radial Life Extension

Singularity and Salvation

A Survey: Axial Religions Respond to RLE and H+

Prometheus and Frankenstein

Religion and Science as Critical Discourse

The Eschatological Proviso

Conclusion

Chapter 2: Are We Becoming God(s)?: Transhumanism, Posthumanism, Antihumanism, and the Divine

Question 1. Are We Becoming God(s)? Transhumanism and the Divine

Question 2. Are We Playing God with Techno-Enhancement?

Question 3. Are We Being God(s)? Philosophical Posthumanism and the Divine

Question 4. Are We Killing God(s)? Antihumanism and the Divine

Conclusions

Part II: What Are Religious Transhumanists and Their Critics Saying?

Chapter 3: Mormon Transhumanism

Mormonism

Post-secular Religion

Technological Evolution

Transhumanism

Misrecognized Religiosity

Accelerating Change

Myths and Visions

New God Argument

Mormonism Mandates Transhumanism

Chapter 4: Pre-Original Buddhism and the Transhumanist Imperative

Original Buddhism

Pre-Original Buddhism

What Did the Buddha Know and When Did He Know It?

Historical Development of Transhumanism

Pre-Original Buddhism Meets Transhumanism

Was Franklin Merrell-Wolff the Original Buddhist Transhumanist?

Notes.

Chapter 5: Unitarian Universalists as Critical Transhumanists

Background: The Enlightenment Sieve

Evolution, Humanism, and Eugenics

Post-World War II Techno-Utopianism and the Emerging Transhumanists

Bio-conservative Opposition to Transhumanism

Virtues and Moral Enhancement

UUs in Dialogue with the Transhuman Project

Conclusion: UUs as Critical Transhumanists

Chapter 6: Perfecting Humanity in Confucianism and Transhumanism

Perfecting Humanity in Confucianism: Cultivating the Mind-and-Heart

Original Humanity: Tiān mìng

Existential Humanity: The Human Mind

Restoration of Original Humanity: Self-Cultivation

Human Perfection in Transhumanism: Manufacturing Superintelligence

Posthuman

Superintelligence

Immortality

Uploading

Sage or a Cyborg?

Existential Humanity, Again

Perfecting Humanity, Again

Chapter 7: Why Christian Transhumanism?

What Drives These Transhumanist Visions?

Christian Transhumanism as Conversation

An Incarnational Model of Engagement

A Theology of Technology

The Garden: Technology and the Image of God

The Ark: Technology and Redemption

The City: Technology and the Kingdom of Heaven

Further Development of a Theology of Technology

Positive, Relational Values in the Public Conversation

A Positive Religious Vision

Chapter 8: Steps toward a Theology of Christian Transhumanism

Definitions, Similarities, and Differences

Similarities between Secular and Christian Transhumanism

Transhumanism's Roots in Religion

Seeing Theology and Technology in a New Light

Restoration, Progress, or Transformation?

Assessing CTA Statements

Chapter 9: A Roman Catholic View: Technological Progress? Yes. Transhumanism? No.

The History of Catholic Support for Technological Progress

When Has the Catholic Church Not Supported Technological Progress?

And What of Transhumanism?

How Should the Catholic Church Respond to Transhumanism?

Are Christianity and Transhumanism Compatible?

"Religious Transhumanism" Is a Real Phenomenon

What Kind of Future?

A Long Conclusion

Chapter 10: Technological Theosis?: An Eastern Orthodox Critique of Religious Transhumanism

Transhumanism: The Religion of Mangodhood

Technological Rapture?

Beyond Human Intelligence, Life, and Morality

Godmanhood: Creation, Salvation, Human Action, and Divine Action43

Chapter 11: The Transhumanist Pied Pipers: A Jewish Caution against False Messianism

How Do We Identify the Transhumanist Pied Piper?

From Enhancement to Perfection

What Does It Mean to Be Perfect?

Perfection as a Process: Technological Enhancement

Defeating Death. Really?

Cyborgism

Perfection as End State: The Posthuman

The Singularity Is Near. Really?

Transhumanism in the Post-Secular Age

Part III: The H+ Future

Chapter 12: Cyborg, Gender, and the Posthuman Self

The Cyborg Manifesto: Irony, Materiality, Hybridity, Kinship

The Feminist Cyborg, Transhumanism, and Religion

Cyborg Religion?

The Created Co-creator

Chapter 13: A Virtual Ghost in the Digital Machine: Whole Brain Emulation, Disembodied Gender, and Queer Mystical Animality

Selves Embedded in and Emerging from Gender/Sex Relations

The Queerly Entangled Self in Mystical Animality

Concluding Hopes: Toward a Trans*Theology

Chapter 14: Copulation, Masturbation, and Sex Bots: Ethical Implication of AI as My Buddy in Bed

Human Being as Body Interacting with Other Bodies

Burning Questions

Competing Values.

New Sex Toys for the Market

Theology of Body, Sexuality, Gender

Concluding Discussion

Chapter 15: The Transhumanist Threat to Plants and Animals: An Exercise in Ecofeminist Critical Theory

Ecofeminism

Posthumanism and Animal Studies

Questions about Transhumanism in Literary Contexts

Chapter 16: Transhumanism, Theological Anthropology, and the Ethics of Ambiguity

Theological Anthropology of the Individual: From Omni-God to Science and Technology

Theological Anthropology of the Planetary Creature: Trinity of Relationality, Ecology, and Evolutionary Thought

Dealing with Ambiguity in Planetary Ethics

Individual as an Ecosystem

Death as an Integral Part of Life

Ethics of Ambiguity

Chapter 17: The iCalf, Relationality, and the Extended Body: Evaluations of Different Notions of Post/Transhumanism

The Quasi-Religion of Bostrom and Kurzweil

The Relational Ontology of Karen Barad

Human Enhancement or Extended Bodiliness?

Concluding Warnings

Part IV: Is H+ Sound Scientifically? Philosophically? Theologically?

Chapter 18: Is Transhumanism Good Science, Bad Science, or Pseudoscience?

Introduction

History of Science Definitions

Shift from Natural Philosophy to the Scientific Method

Shift from Scientific Method to Logical Positivism

Shift from Logical Empiricism to Popper

Shift from Popper to Postmodern Science Critique

Shift from Postmodern Science Back to Academia

Shift from Academia to Public and Corporate Support

What We Need to Consider from the History of Science and Its Shifts of Definitions

Contemporary Science

Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

Conceptually Sound

Is Transhumanism Good Science, Bad Science, or Pseudoscience?

Should Transhumanism Be Pursued?

To Our Naïve Transhumanist Friends.

Conclusion

Chapter 19: Ghosts or Zombies: On Keeping Body and Soul Together

Why Not Ghosts? The Problems with Patternism

More Zombie than Ghost

The Narcissism That Underlies Transhumanist Goals

Chapter 20: In Praise of Boundaries: Understanding Mortality as an Ally

The War on Death

Getting from Here to There

The H+ Pursuit of Immortality

RLE, Still in the Body

The Singularity: The Mind Outside the Body

Critique of the H+ Myth of Pure Intellect

The Transhuman Potential

From Human to Virtually Human

The Body in Question

Time Makes Gratitude Possible

From Time to Story to Meaning

Chapter 21: Homo Gubernator as a Teilhardian-Catholic Response to Transhumanism

Transhumanism in Brief

Total Theological Acceptance

Reserved Theological Acceptance

Nuanced Rejection

Teilhard de Chardin and Homo gubernator

Conclusion: Transhumanism Revisited

Chapter 22: Will Transhumanism Reach Point Omega?

The Aims of Transhumanism

Teilhard's Omega

Religion and Evolution

The Noosphere and Planetization

Can Transhumanism Attain Omega?

Chapter 23: Resurrection and the Transhumanist Promise

Transhuman Technologies

Secular Dreams and Resurrection Hope

From Virtue to Deification

Seeking Perfection through Attainment of Virtues

Chapter 24: Moral Enhancement, the Virtues, and Transhumanism: Moving beyond Gene Editing

Human Nature, Change, and Virtue

Genetic Inheritance and Virtue

What Specific Changes Would Be Useful for Moral Enhancement?

Courage-Genetic Change

Courage-Non-genetic Change

Justice-Genetic Change

Justice-Non-genetic Change

Temperance-Genetic Change

Temperance-Non-genetic Change

Prudence-Genetic Change.

Prudence-Non-genetic Change.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-9787-3021-7

1-4985-8414-4

OCLC:

1308394400