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‘Someone’ versus ‘something’: A reflection on transhumanist values in light of education
Author(s) -
Bokedal Tomas,
Reindal Solveig Magnus,
Rise Svein,
Wivestad Stein M.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of philosophy of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.501
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1467-9752
pISSN - 0309-8249
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9752.12628
Subject(s) - transhumanism , posthuman , epistemology , humanism , sociology , anthropocentrism , existentialism , philosophy of education , personhood , human enhancement , posthumanism , embodied cognition , situated , nexus (standard) , environmental ethics , philosophy , higher education , computer science , law , political science , artificial intelligence , embedded system
Innovations in genetics, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence involve the possibility of enhancement of human attributes and capacities—offering humans innumerable opportunities for diverse, unprecedented experiences and developments both physically and cognitively. These new innovations, frequently associated with theoretical frameworks such as transhumanism, not only raise new ethical–pedagogical questions but also challenge the very meaning of education. Core educational concepts pertaining to the human being, personhood, and the educational self now need to be re‐examined or rediscovered in confrontation with transhumanist values. In regard to this task, we investigate Bostrom's teleological approach towards transhumanist values, questioning his understanding of the human person and the inherent implications of a sensible agenda for education, situated within the broad humanist tradition. As an alternative to an educational prospect based on, or endorsing, transhumanist values, we adopt Spaemann's personalist program, implementing his distinction between ‘being someone’ versus ‘being something’. Defending an understanding of the person as someone, and not as a thing that shall be cultivated, we employ Spaemann's distinction between anthropocentrism versus anthropomorphism, recognising the importance of contextualising the human being in a broader existential, embodied framework, while acknowledging the critique of the anthropocene. Along these lines, we elaborate on an understanding of education and the educated person that, in our view, safeguards core human values. In the discussion, we draw on insights from Spaemann, Arendt, Kierkegaard and Gadamer.