The Birmingham Branch of the Royal Institute of Philosophy organises two events a year which address philosophical issues that are of interest to the general public or attempt to bridge existing gaps between academic disciplines.
For more information contact Jussi Suikkanen the current RIP event organiser.
Forthcoming events
Human Enhancement: Three Perspectives
Friday 31 of May, ERI Building, Room 149
Programme
13.00-14.20 “Enhancement, Human Identity, and Authenticity”
Alexandre Erler (Oxford)
14.20-14.40 Tea and Coffee Break
14.40-16.00 “Smarter, Stronger, Faster, Better – A Brave New World”
Georgia Testa (Leeds)
16.00-16.20 Tea and Coffee Break
16.20-17.40 “Is 'human enhancement' a useful moral category?”
Simon Rippon (Central European University)
17.40 Drinks and Dinner
We human beings are better and better in manipulating ourselves by using biomedical technologies. We can take doping to become better athletes, have cosmic surgery to become more beautiful, take pills to feel better and be more intelligent, and so on. Very soon, we will also be able to manipulate the genetic material of future generations to change what we are like as the mankind in even more fundamental ways. These new possibilities have created intensive ethical debates in the area known as human enhancement. At this workshop, three exciting junior scholars consider questions such as what the distinction between enhancements and other interventions is, whether this distinction is morally relevant, whether enhancements are a threat to our human identity and authenticity, and what kind of other strong moral concerns the new technologies give rise to, for example, with respect to social justice.
The workshop is open to all audiences, and there is no attendance fee (refreshments will be free, but drinks and dinner will not be included). For enquiries, please email Dr Jussi Suikkanen.