Transhumanist thought on overpopulation usually invokes the welfare of present human beings and the control over future generation, thus minimizing the need and meaning of new births. Here we devise a framework for a more thorough screening of the relevant literature, to have a better appreciation of the issue of natality. We follow the lead of Hannah Arendt and Brent Waters in this respect. With three overlapping categories of words, headed by "natality," "birth," and "intergenerations," a large sample of books on transhumanism is scrutinized, showing the lack of sustained reflection on the issue. After this preliminary scrutiny, a possible defense of natality in face of modern and transhumanist thought is marshaled, evoking a number of desirable human traits. One specific issue, the impact of modern values on natality, is further explored, reiterating that concerns about overpopulation and enhanced humans should keep in sight the natural cycle of birth and death.The Earth has recently reached seven billion human inhabitants, and many have voiced concerns that we should control new births in order to guarantee the well being of the present population. This situation raises anew a host of philosophical and theological issues, in particular those related to human nature and destiny. One tradition for which population trends and choices are an integral part is the transhumanist one. 1 For example, the proposal of part of this movement to extend one's life to the point of immortality is well known. However, in order to avoid overpopulation as a result, new births would need to be restricted. Critics from various quarters have indicated the meaning and value of mortality for true personhood, but concerns over superpopulation usually overshadow the importance of new generations. Not much has been said (even among bioethicists) about natality (Gebürtlichkeit), not as a category in demography, but in the specific sense of being born, introduced into this world. Hannah Arendt Eduardo R. Cruz is Professor of Religious Studies at
HABERMAS, em um texto recente sobre os acontecimentos de 2001, colocou novamente em questão as relações entre fé e saber na modernidade. A visão moderna que a religião deve ser excluída da esfera pública encontra resistências, que sugerem um outro cenário para um mundo pós-secular. Habermas fala do diálogo entre os dois "pilares do tempo" (Gould) apenas para o plano moral, mas o argumento do presente trabalho destaca as razões para se valorizar o aspecto cognitivo da religião. Estudos recentes, principalmente no âmbito das ciências cognitivas, revelam a origem natural comum da ciência e da religião. No âmbito da história e da filosofia, sugerem-se hoje outros elementos comuns para a "fé" e o "saber". No caso brasileiro, enfatiza-se a necessidade de um esforço comum em face de ameaças como o criacionismo, e em prol de uma educação que desenvolva a cidadania e o conhecimento são.
HABERMAS, in a recent paper on 9/11, questions again the relationship between faith and knowledge in modernity. The modern outlook, excluding religion in the public realm, faces resistance that suggests another scenario for a post-secular world. He speaks about the dialogue between the two "rocks of ages" (Gould) only at the moral level, but the argument of the present paper highlights the reasons to give more weight to the cognitive role of religion. Recent studies, mainly in the realm of cognitive sciences, reveal the natural origin both of science and religion. In the realm of history and philosophy, other elements are suggested today for "faith" and "knowledge". In the Brazilian case, we emphasize the need for a common effort in face of threats such as creationism, and in favor of educational patterns that foster citizenship and sound knowledge
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Descrevem-se aqui as teorias tradicionais de verdade, desde aquela por correspondência até a por consenso. O construtivismo é então apresentado como alternativa para as ciências humanas, que apresentam um caráter emancipatório, e isto entra na composição de seu conceito de verdade. No caso da religião, a verdade é mais experiencial, mas a teologia precisa seguir os critérios de verdade das demais ciências. Assim, a crítica dos neo-ateus não se sustenta, pois abordam a religião só em seu conteúdo cognitivo. Eles têm sua razão, no entanto, dada a propensão humana ao engano e ao autoengano (ilusão), os quais, no entanto, se referem a todas as esferas de conhecimento. A teologia também tem de se questionar sobre que tipo de evidências empíricas dispõe para embasar suas afirmações. A pluralidade religiosa (e, portanto, de reivindicações de verdade) surge como problema, mas o entendimento das raízes comuns da religião, fornecido pelas ciências evolutivas, fornece uma base importante para se lidar com o problema. Em resumo, o que se apresenta aqui é um esboço de defesa do realismo em teologia.
How far has theology departed from both religion and science, insofar as it intends to be accountable to the Academy? Our argument shows that insights on this issue can be drawn from the current discussion in the cognitive science of religion (CSR). Robert McCauley's arguments on this matter, represented by the image of ''Lot's Wife's temptation,'' are discussed here around four topics: the unnaturalness of religion, the naturalness of science, the scientificity of Biblical scholarship, as well as (partially) of theology. This discussion engages three of McCauley's publications, which are analyzed with the purpose of assessing the appropriateness of this image. It is shown that, despite many insights that it may provide, neither science nor theology are adequately represented in the image of ''Lot's Wife.'' How well does theology fare in comparison with the natural sciences, both in epistemological terms and regarding its presence in the Academy? What is the proper relationship between theology and religious thought in general, and the beliefs of the average person, in particular? These questions have perennial appeal, and underlie much of the scholarship in the area that is conventionally called ''the dialogue between science and religion.''In the past twenty years or so, a new discipline has emerged out of several strands of research, called the cognitive science of religion (CSR). Within the framework of the theory of evolution, most of the scholarship in the area claims that religion is an evolutionary by-product of basic cognitive dispositions such as: a theory of agency, a theory of causality, and folk psychology, making understandable the human intercourse with gods. 1
This essay is part of a collection of short essays solicited from authors around the globe who teach religion courses at the college level (not for professional religious training). They are published together with an introduction in Teaching Theology and Religion 18:3 (July 2015). The authors were asked to provide a brief overview of the curriculum, student learning goals, and pedagogical techniques employed in their courses.This short essay describes two personal experiences in a huge country with diverse situations, in a context that is broadly Western and European (Iberian). The first half (by Afonso Soares) describes Religious Education (RE) in public schools, in a religiously diverse (but overwhelmingly Christian) country with separation between church and state. The second part, by Eduardo Cruz, describes RE in the context of a confessional (albeit largely secularized) university. Our accounts are quite different because of the differences in the contexts we describe: one describes the curriculum for public schools that are open to some form of religious education, and the other describes mandatory courses in confessional universities. Classroom activities, assignments, curriculum, and approaches to teaching are quite different at this kind of university compared to public high schools, and they vary from place to place. Classes in high school last only an hour, whereas college classes are typically two to three hours long. What distinguishes college-level work is more demanding activities, such as seminars prepared by groups of students. Religious Education in Elementary and High SchoolsThe discipline of Religious Education (RE) is the result of the didactic transposition of knowledge produced in the Sciences of Religion (ScR) for classes in elementary and secondary public education. Unfortunately, there is not wide agreement between the various sectors involved with the subject (education professionals, religious leaders, political officials, and spokespersons for public opinion) about how the kind of knowledge acquired by religious experience of humankind should be related to the pedagogical methods that introduce it to young citizens in the school system. The difficulty is indeed epistemological but also carries considerable political weight. There has long been tension between ensuring the legitimate access of students to RE (on behalf of the principle of religious freedom) and preserving the secular state (which cannot compromise with one or another religious denomination).
Some transhumanists argue that we must engage with theories and facts about our evolutionary past in order to promote future enhancements of the human body. At the same time, they call our attention to the flawed character of evolution and argue that there is a mismatch between adaptation to ancestral environments and contemporary life. One important trait of our evolutionary past which should not be ignored, and yet may hinder the continued perfection of humankind, is the peculiarly human way of bearing and raising children. The suffering associated with childbirth and a long childhood have demanded trade-offs that have enhanced our species, leading to cooperation, creativity, intelligence and resilience. Behaviors such as mother-infant engagement, empathy, storytelling, and ritual have also helped to create what we value most in human beings. Therefore, the moral, cognitive, and emotional enhancements proposed by these transhumanists may be impaired by their partial appropriation of evolution, insofar as the bittersweet experience of parenthood is left aside.
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