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
No abstract
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.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.