Humanity's End

Why We Should Reject Radical Enhancement

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Humanism, Modern
Cover of the book Humanity's End by Nicholas Agar, The MIT Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Nicholas Agar ISBN: 9780262288934
Publisher: The MIT Press Publication: August 20, 2010
Imprint: A Bradford Book Language: English
Author: Nicholas Agar
ISBN: 9780262288934
Publisher: The MIT Press
Publication: August 20, 2010
Imprint: A Bradford Book
Language: English

An argument that achieving millennial life spans or monumental intellects will destroy values that give meaning to human lives.

Proposals to make us smarter than the greatest geniuses or to add thousands of years to our life spans seem fit only for the spam folder or trash can. And yet this is what contemporary advocates of radical enhancement offer in all seriousness. They present a variety of technologies and therapies that will expand our capacities far beyond what is currently possible for human beings. In Humanity's End, Nicholas Agar argues against radical enhancement, describing its destructive consequences.

Agar examines the proposals of four prominent radical enhancers: Ray Kurzweil, who argues that technology will enable our escape from human biology; Aubrey de Grey, who calls for anti-aging therapies that will achieve “longevity escape velocity”; Nick Bostrom, who defends the morality and rationality of enhancement; and James Hughes, who envisions a harmonious democracy of the enhanced and the unenhanced. Agar argues that the outcomes of radical enhancement could be darker than the rosy futures described by these thinkers. The most dramatic means of enhancing our cognitive powers could in fact kill us; the radical extension of our life span could eliminate experiences of great value from our lives; and a situation in which some humans are radically enhanced and others are not could lead to tyranny of posthumans over humans.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

An argument that achieving millennial life spans or monumental intellects will destroy values that give meaning to human lives.

Proposals to make us smarter than the greatest geniuses or to add thousands of years to our life spans seem fit only for the spam folder or trash can. And yet this is what contemporary advocates of radical enhancement offer in all seriousness. They present a variety of technologies and therapies that will expand our capacities far beyond what is currently possible for human beings. In Humanity's End, Nicholas Agar argues against radical enhancement, describing its destructive consequences.

Agar examines the proposals of four prominent radical enhancers: Ray Kurzweil, who argues that technology will enable our escape from human biology; Aubrey de Grey, who calls for anti-aging therapies that will achieve “longevity escape velocity”; Nick Bostrom, who defends the morality and rationality of enhancement; and James Hughes, who envisions a harmonious democracy of the enhanced and the unenhanced. Agar argues that the outcomes of radical enhancement could be darker than the rosy futures described by these thinkers. The most dramatic means of enhancing our cognitive powers could in fact kill us; the radical extension of our life span could eliminate experiences of great value from our lives; and a situation in which some humans are radically enhanced and others are not could lead to tyranny of posthumans over humans.

More books from The MIT Press

Cover of the book Artificial Unintelligence by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book A History of Modern Computing by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book The Coming Generational Storm by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book Cryopolitics by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book Confronting Consumption by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book Philosophical Provocations by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book Decoding the Social World by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book Weaving the Dark Web by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book Good Green Jobs in a Global Economy by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book Transparency in Global Environmental Governance by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book Disrupted Economic Relationships by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book Boundary Objects and Beyond by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book ENIAC in Action by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book The New Science of the Mind by Nicholas Agar
Cover of the book Children with Specific Language Impairment by Nicholas Agar
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy