Item Details

title

Integral Transhumanism: The Holistic Leap Forward

author

Tennison, Michael

abstract

Transhumanism champions the emerging use of biotechnological enhancement to perfect our biologically-based human limitations. This study evaluates both the contemporary bioethical discourse on enhancement, and the transhumanist movement itself, in light of Ken Wilber's Integral Theory of development. Wilber's paradigm synthesizes descriptive and normative theories from a vast array of disciplines, generating a holistic approach to developmental theory that emphasizes a particular need for balance in any evolving system. The application of Integral Theory to enhancement reveals that transhumanism overemphasizes both autonomy at the expense of justice, and rationality at the expense of spirituality, in its idea of progress.

subject

Bioethics

Enhancement

Entheogen

Ken Wilber

Perfection

Shamanism

contributor

King, Nancy M. P. (committee chair)

Hall, Mark (committee member)

Hyde, Michael J. (committee member)

King, Nancy M. P. (committee member)

date

2011-02-16T21:42:21Z (accessioned)

2011-02-16T21:42:21Z (available)

2010 (issued)

degree

Bioethics (discipline)

identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/30405 (uri)

language

en (iso)

publisher

Wake Forest University

type

Thesis