Library Subscription: Guest
Ethics in Biology, Engineering and Medicine: An International Journal

ISSN Print: 2151-805X

ISSN Online: 2151-8068

SJR: 0.123

What Does It Mean to Be Human? Humanness, Personhood and the Transhumanist Movement

Volume 1, Issue 2, 2010, pp. 107-131
DOI: 10.1615/EthicsBiologyEngMed.v1.i2.40
Get accessGet access

ABSTRACT

This paper asks the question "What does it mean to be human?", addressing the issue chiefly from the perspective of present and future possibilities for technical enhancements to people (and animals) and through genetic, pharmacologic and neuroengineering means. Drawing on Locke and his successors, I begin with an introduction to the problem of personhood, and then introduce the concepts of "moral standing," "liberal eugenics," and "transhumanism." Present and future possibilities for the pharmacologic, genetic and neuroprosthetic enhancement of human performance are discussed, focusing primarily on the ethical issues involved. The possibility of human / animal chimeras as means to provide enhancements to existing animal breeds is also discussed. I consider also the question of whether or not it is fundamentally wrong to alter humanity and human nature in the first place, the position advanced by many "bioconservatives." I end with a critique of the "bioconservative" position that argues against artificial human enhancements. In particular, I point out that disgust or repugnance for an entity or concept should not be taken as evidence that the entity or concept is intrinsically evil or harmful, a position popularized by Kass in his famous essay The Wisdom of Repugnance.

Latest Issue

Heroics at the End of Life in Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care: The Role of the Intensivist in Supporting Ethical Decisions around Innovative Surgical Interventions Mithya Lewis-Newby, Emily Berkman, Douglas S. Diekema, Jonna D. Clark Transplantation for Older Patients with Hematologic Malignancies in 2021: Uncertainty and Ethics in Decision-Making H. Joachim Deeg Exploring the Hippocratic Oath: A Critical Look at Medicine's Oldest Surviving Guide to Medical Ethics D. John Doyle All Sore Eyes and Beasts: Spiritual Care Providers' Role in End-of-Life Existential Distress Debra Josephson Abrams, David B. Brecher, Douglas W. Lane The Ethics of Technology Development and Technology Use David W. Chambers Ethical Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care: A Narrative Review Aaron T. Hui, Shawn S. Ahn, Carolyn T. Lye, Jun Deng The Goods of Health Care Wade L. Robison The Ethics of Observing Low-Risk Thyroid Cancer Betty Y. Chen, Brendan C. Stack A Sampling of Engineering Ethics Conundrums Intended for Classroom Discussion D. John Doyle Toward a Better Understanding of Risk-Taking in Medical Decision Making David S. Dinhofer, Shweta Agarwal Ethical Issues Involving the Development of COVID-19 Vaccines: Role of Vaccine Development, Clinical Trials, and Speed of Peer Review in Dissuading Public Vaccine Hesitancy Leisha M. A. Martin, Gregory W. Buck Autonomy and Addictive Design Stephen Scales Ethical Implications with the Utilization of Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry Neekita Saudagar, Rafia Jabeen, Pallavi Sharma, Sean Mong, Ram M. Vaderhobli Meeting Report: 9th International Conference on Ethics in Biology, Engineering, and Medicine Subrata Saha, Pamela Saha Index, Volume 12, 2021
Begell Digital Portal Begell Digital Library eBooks Journals References & Proceedings Research Collections Prices and Subscription Policies Begell House Contact Us Language English 中文 Русский Português German French Spain