What ethics for transhumanism ?

Ébénézer Njoh-Mouelle

Description

Njoh Mouelle deploys an analysis intended to clarify his position on various aspects of this movement. He analyses ethical notions and highlights unsuspected issues, on the difficult question of regulating the exploitation of the results of convergent NBIC research, many of which prove to be advantageous for every man. While he emphasises on the regulation designed to protect and save the human species from vanishing in Cyborgs, the Cameroonian philosopher also cares for the uncertain fate that could be reserved for the economically weaker categories in the face of enhancing capacities of all kinds on other continents.

Sujets

• Philosophie

Informations

• Publié par: L'Harmattan
• Date de parution: 17 avril 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 12
• EAN13: 9782140119644
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

clariîer sa position sur divers aspects de ce mouvement. Il analyse

sur la difîcile question de la régulation de l’exploitation des résultats des recherches convergentes des NBIC, dont un nombre important s’avère avantageux pour tout homme. L’inefîcacité des comités nationaux d’éthique – dont les avis sont rarement pris en compte par les législateurs de divers pays –

les instances onusiennes. S’il met l’accent de manière appuyée sur

des capacités de toutes sortes sur d’autres continents.

ambiguïté, il écrit : « Il n’est pas évident (…) que les centres et les cabinets extérieurs d’ingénierie d’‟augmentation” des capacités acceptent un jour sans discrimination de ‟pratiquer ”, par exemple, l’augmentation de leur Quotient Intellectuel au proît des clients venant d’Afrique ! »

Président du conseil scientiîque du Centre de formation doctorale pour les arts, les langues et la culture à la facul té des arts, lettres et sciences humaines de l’université de Yaoundé-I,  est demeuré un intellectuel actif et productif. En sa qualité de spécialiste de ce philosophe français, il a publié , entre autres titres, et assuré de nombreuses responsabilité s d’administration académique avant d’être nommé conseiller d u président de la République en 1986, de se faire élire député en 1997 et no mmer membre du gouvernement en 2006. Depuis novembre 2015, il représente le Cameroun pour la deuxième fois au conseil exécutif de l’UNESCO.

Illustration de couverture de l’auteur.

Ebénézer N M JOH OUELLE

WHAT ETHICS FOR TRANSHUMANISM?

“Enhanced Men” and “Posthumans” Soon in Africa?

Translated by DenisGhislain Mbessa

WhatEthics forTranshumanism?

Ebénézer N JOH M OUELLE

WhatEthics forTranshumanism?

“Enhanced Men” and “Posthumans” Soon in Africa?

Translated by

Denis-Ghislain Mbessa

© L’Harmattan, 2019 5-7, rue de l’Ecole-Polytechnique, 75005 Paris http://www.editions-harmattan.fr ISBN : 978-2-343-17483-9 EAN : 9782343174839

OUTLINE

NOTICE OF THE TRANSLATOR ...........................................7

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................9

CHAPTER ONE BENEFITS OF THE CONVERGENCE OF RESULTS IN NBIC RESEARCH .....................................15

CHAPTER II “CAPACITY ENHANCEMENTS” OFFERS THAT MAY WORRY…..........................................29

CHAPTER III WHAT ETHICAL CRITERIA?......................45

CHAPTER IV NO NEW APARTHEID FOR AFRICA .........67

CONCLUSION ........................................................................77

SHORT BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................83

TABLE OF CONTENTS .........................................................91

NOTICEOFTHETRANSLATOR

InTranshumanism, Science Merchants and the Future of Man,Ebénézer Njoh Mouelle was already preoccupied with the violation of people’s privacy in the Western world and in his native Africa through the following question: “Should our morale be boosted in the Third World and in Africa in particular, thinking that it is the Americans first and the Europeans who would be the first victims of this 1 outrageous violation of people’s privacy ?”In his opinion, Africans were not supposed to feel secure“in this context of globalisation that embarks all the corners of the planet 2 in the same market”. After presenting the need to regulate research in NBIC at international and national level, in that first book on the subject, in the present book, the author comes back to Africa in order to insist on the need for African states to engage in the “scientific dance” in order to avoid being left aside by progress in scientific research in general. He therefore makes the following exhortation: “There would be no better attitude than to cope, without fear, with these challenges of the present times”. Instead of advocating an African glorious past, as it is often the case with Egyptologists, according to Njoh-Mouelle, Africans should look for means of resolutely engaging in the field of scientific research, precisely in NBIC in order to avoid a scientific apartheid. This translation from the French has

1 Ebénézer Njoh Mouelle,Transhumanism, Science Merchants and the Future of Man,Denis-Ghislain MBESSA, (translator), L’Harmattan, Paris, 2017, p.28. 2 Id.

the ambition to contribute in the vulgarisation of such an exhortation. 3 Denis-Ghislain Mbessa

3  Denis-Ghislain MBESSA is a Doctor (PhD) in moral and political philosophy. He is a teacher at the University of Yaoundé I and a Freelance Translator.

8