Transhumanism and Society

This book provides an introductory overview to the social debate over enhancement technologies with an overview of the transhumanists' call to bypass human nature and conservationists' argument in defense of it. The author present this controversy as it unfolds in the contest between transhumanists proponents and conservationists, who push back with an argument to conserve human nature and to ban enhancement technologies. This book provides an overview of the key contested points and present the debate in an orderly, constructive fashion. Readers are informed about the discussion over humanism, the tension between science and religion, and the interpretation of socio-technological revolutions; and are invited to make up their own mind about one of the most challenging topics concerning the social and ethical implications of technological advancements.

Stephen Lilley (PhD and MA, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; BA, College of the Holy Cross) teaches and conducts research on society and technology. He has written on genetic medicine, Moore’s Law, characterizations of human-machine networks, and technology fatalism. He has co-authored studies and papers on social networking, surveillance, and privacy. His writing on social movements began with a Master’s thesis on liberation theology in the Sandinista Revolution and a dissertation on Dr. King’s leadership within the Civil Rights Movement. More recently he has been investigating the ideology, rhetoric, and mobilization strategies of organizations that strive to advance controversial technologies. He is a Professor of Sociology at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield Connecticut.