Buddhism Has Always Been Posthuman:Philosophical Contributions to the Transhumanist Project

This article draws a comparison between Buddhism (especially Mahāyāna) and two contemporary philosophies: posthumanism and transhumanism. Regarding the former, I argue the compatibility between Buddhism and posthumanism, especially regarding anti-essentialism and antianthropocentrism. Regarding the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Tormen, Francesco (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2023
In: Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies
Year: 2023, Volume: 18, Pages: 7-43
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:This article draws a comparison between Buddhism (especially Mahāyāna) and two contemporary philosophies: posthumanism and transhumanism. Regarding the former, I argue the compatibility between Buddhism and posthumanism, especially regarding anti-essentialism and antianthropocentrism. Regarding the latter, I demonstrate Buddhism's openness to human enhancement and identify utilitarianism as an ethical common ground between Buddhism and transhumanism. I argue that Buddhist insights into the root causes of suffering could steer transhumanism toward a form of deep (or cognitive) utilitarianism. The Buddhist legacy could also contribute to the transhumanist project through its insights into the nature of consciousness, which could prove useful to philosophical analysis and neurophenomenological research.,
ISSN:1710-825X
Contains:Enthalten in: Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies