Overview
We live in an age of rapid technological advancement. Never before has humankind wielded so much power over our own biology. Biohacking, the attempt at human enhancement of physical, cognitive, affective, moral, and spiritual traits, has become a global phenomenon. This textbook introduces religious and ethical implications of biohacking, artificial intelligence, and other technological changes, offering perspectives from monotheistic and karmic religions and applied ethics. These technological breakthroughs are transforming our societies and ourselves fundamentally via genetic modification, tissue engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics, the merging of computer technology with human biology, extended reality, brain stimulation, and nanotechnology. The book also considers the extreme possibilities of mind uploading, cryonics, and superintelligence. Chapters explore some of the political, economic, sociological, and psychological dimensions of these advances, withbibliographies for further study and questions for discussion. The technological future is here – and it is up to us to decide its moral and religious shape.
Full Product Details
Author: Calvin Mercer ,
Tracy J. Trothen
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Imprint: Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Edition: 1st ed. 2021
Weight: 0.454kg
ISBN: 9783030623586
ISBN 10: 3030623580
Pages: 266
Publication Date: 23 February 2021
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Reviews
Religion and the Technological Future is an introductory textbook that relates newer scientific and technology developments for transforming human life with their religious and ethical implications. The authors write as religious and ethics educators, not as scientists, but appear fluent with the technologies they discuss. (John Mauger, Nova Religio, Vol. 26 (2), November, 2022) Religion and the Technological Future is an interesting introduction to the main topics about transhumanism and human enhancement and the religious and ethical perspectives on the issue. As a textbook, it offers a broad perspective highlighting the main arising questions on the principal topics in an understandable and accessible way. (Luis Torro Ferrero, Reviews in Science, Religion and Theology, Issue 3, September, 2022) Glossary is followed by an excellent list of references. ... it's intended to be an introductory text for university students of religion, ethics, and morality, as applied to ... 'biohacking.' It does all of this admirably. ... The discussions are meant to stimulate intellectual reflection on the current direction, and coming together of, the biosciences and computer sciences. And this it does admirably. I know of no other introduction of its kind. (David Bellin, Computing Reviews, December 16, 2021)
Religion and the Technological Future is an interesting introduction to the main topics about transhumanism and human enhancement and the religious and ethical perspectives on the issue. As a textbook, it offers a broad perspective highlighting the main arising questions on the principal topics in an understandable and accessible way. (Luis Torro Ferrero, Reviews in Science, Religion and Theology, Issue 3, September, 2022) Glossary is followed by an excellent list of references. ... it's intended to be an introductory text for university students of religion, ethics, and morality, as applied to ... 'biohacking.' It does all of this admirably. ... The discussions are meant to stimulate intellectual reflection on the current direction, and coming together of, the biosciences and computer sciences. And this it does admirably. I know of no other introduction of its kind. (David Bellin, Computing Reviews, December 16, 2021)
Glossary is followed by an excellent list of references. ... it's intended to be an introductory text for university students of religion, ethics, and morality, as applied to ... 'biohacking.' It does all of this admirably. ... The discussions are meant to stimulate intellectual reflection on the current direction, and coming together of, the biosciences and computer sciences. And this it does admirably. I know of no other introduction of its kind. (David Bellin, Computing Reviews, December 16, 2021)
Author Information
Calvin Mercer is Professor of Religion at East Carolina University, USA, and founding chair of the American Academy of Religion’s Human Enhancement and Transhumanism Unit. Tracy J. Trothen is Professor of Ethics at Queen’s University, Canada, and co-chair of the American Academy of Religion’s Artificial Intelligence Seminar.
