Register for email alerts and news feeds:
This journal | BMJ Group
rss
Journal of Medical Ethics 2006;32:513-518; doi:10.1136/jme.2005.013789
Copyright © 2006 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & Institute of Medical Ethics.

GENERAL ETHICS

Transhumanism, medical technology and slippery slopes

M J McNamee and S D Edwards

Centre for Philosophy, Humanities and Law in Healthcare, School of Health Science, University of Wales, Swansea, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Mike McNamee
Centre for Philosophy, Humanities and Law in Healthcare, School of Health Science, University of Wales, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK; m.j.mcnamee{at}swansea.ac.uk

ABSTRACT

In this article, transhumanism is considered to be a quasi-medical ideology that seeks to promote a variety of therapeutic and human-enhancing aims. Moderate conceptions are distinguished from strong conceptions of transhumanism and the strong conceptions were found to be more problematic than the moderate ones. A particular critique of Boström’s defence of transhumanism is presented. Various forms of slippery slope arguments that may be used for and against transhumanism are discussed and one particular criticism, moral arbitrariness, that undermines both weak and strong transhumanism is highlighted.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Appel, J M (2008). When the boss turns pusher: a proposal for employee protections in the age of cosmetic neurology. J. Med. Ethics 34: 616-618 [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article

Services
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Bookmark with

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.