Better than Human: The Promise and Perils of Enhancing Ourselves
PREFACE
I recently published a much longer scholarly book, also with Oxford University Press, on the ethics of biomedical enhancement, entitled Beyond Humanity? Th at book was written for a more academic audience and was especially directed toward professional bioethicists
and moral philosophers. Because I believe that the themes it explored
are of great public interest, I’ve written the present volume with a wider audience in mind.
Th e present volume contains no footnotes, though it does have an extensive bibliography. For those who desire documentation for what I say in this book, I suggest you look at the scholarly book. It contains a mind-numbing expanse of endnotes.
Better than Human isn’t a dumbed-down version of Beyond Humanity? It includes a number of ideas that occurred to me aft er Beyond Humanity? was already in press. Nonetheless, Better than Human is considerably leaner than its predecessor. I’ve eliminated some rather complex and some might say arcane discussions that are appropriate for scholars but guaranteed to induce deep sleep in normal people.
In addition to having somewhat diff erent content, the two books are written in quite diff erent styles. Th e present volume is more informal and conversational. And, I might add, it more directly expresses my feelings about the topic and about how it is oft en presented
and discussed.
Is it right to use biomedical technologies to make us better than well or even perhaps better than human? Should we view our biology as fixed or should we try to improve on it? College students are already taking cognitive enhancement drugs. The U.S. army is already working to develop drugs and technologies to produce "super soldiers." Scientists already know how to use genetic engineering techniques to enhance the strength and memories of mice and the application of such technologies to humans is on the horizon.
Ox ord Uni ersity Pr ss -- 2011 -- ISBN: 0199797870 -- 208 pages -- PDF -- 1,1 MB
Download
http://s18.alxa.net/s18/srvs2/02/003...than.Human.rar
PREFACE
I recently published a much longer scholarly book, also with Oxford University Press, on the ethics of biomedical enhancement, entitled Beyond Humanity? Th at book was written for a more academic audience and was especially directed toward professional bioethicists
and moral philosophers. Because I believe that the themes it explored
are of great public interest, I’ve written the present volume with a wider audience in mind.
Th e present volume contains no footnotes, though it does have an extensive bibliography. For those who desire documentation for what I say in this book, I suggest you look at the scholarly book. It contains a mind-numbing expanse of endnotes.
Better than Human isn’t a dumbed-down version of Beyond Humanity? It includes a number of ideas that occurred to me aft er Beyond Humanity? was already in press. Nonetheless, Better than Human is considerably leaner than its predecessor. I’ve eliminated some rather complex and some might say arcane discussions that are appropriate for scholars but guaranteed to induce deep sleep in normal people.
In addition to having somewhat diff erent content, the two books are written in quite diff erent styles. Th e present volume is more informal and conversational. And, I might add, it more directly expresses my feelings about the topic and about how it is oft en presented
and discussed.
Is it right to use biomedical technologies to make us better than well or even perhaps better than human? Should we view our biology as fixed or should we try to improve on it? College students are already taking cognitive enhancement drugs. The U.S. army is already working to develop drugs and technologies to produce "super soldiers." Scientists already know how to use genetic engineering techniques to enhance the strength and memories of mice and the application of such technologies to humans is on the horizon.
Ox ord Uni ersity Pr ss -- 2011 -- ISBN: 0199797870 -- 208 pages -- PDF -- 1,1 MB
Download
http://s18.alxa.net/s18/srvs2/02/003...than.Human.rar