Intro: I place the term ‘nature’ in quotation marks in the title as one of the fundamental questions that must be addressed before we can inquire about the ethics of enhancing human beings is whether there is an essential nature in which all human beings share. Various affirmative responses to this perennial philosophical question have been challenged by discoveries in evolutionary biology, cultural anthropology, cognitive psychology, and other relevant fields. Nevertheless, several theories of human nature persist in light of such discoveries. Whether there is a universal human nature and what essential qualities define that nature inform whether it may be altered using biotechnological or other means of enhancement. On one side of the debate are bioconservatives who reject any non-therapeutic interventions that could alter the putatively definitive qualities of human nature. On the other side are transhumanists who argue in favor of “morphological freedom” to reshape ourselves in any non-harmful way one chooses.

Online Event Program:
3pm - Presentation
4pm - Q&A
5pm - Socialization