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Transhumanist Futures and Computing

2014HT

Status Archive
School Computer and Information Science (CIS)
Division MDALAB
Owner Mattias Arvola

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Course plan

No of Lectures

10 seminars.

Recommended for

Anyone interested in interdisciplinary discussions of transhumanist ideas, such as human enhancement, life expansion, uploading and substrate independent minds, AI and technological singularity. That could include PhD students in computer science, cognitive science, design, gender studies, technology and social change, culture and society and media production.

The course was last given

The course is new.

Goals

The overarching objective is to gain interdisciplinary insights into transhumanist ideas and relate them to own ideas and projects. Ethical issues of emerging computing technologies will be discussed. The student will after the course be able to:
- Contrast and critique different positions in transhumanism
- Relate transumanist ideas to own ideas and projects
- Develop and present a motivated personal position in relation to transhumanist ideas

Prerequisites

Participants should be at graduate level.

Organization

The course will be held as a series of ten seminars where the student is expected to participate in at least 70%, lead one seminar and individually write an essay on the subject.

Contents

- Roots and core themes of transhumanism
- Human enhancement
- Core technologies
- Engines of life
- Enhanced decision-making
- Transhumanist politics and ethics
- Singularity

Literature

The Transhumanist Reader: Classical and Contemporary Essays on the Science, Technology, and Philosophy of the Human Future
Max More (Editor), Natasha Vita-More (Editor)
ISBN: 978-1-118-33429-4
480 pages
April 2013, Wiley-Blackwell

Lecturers

Mattias Arvola (IDA)
Fredrik Stjernberg (IKK)

Examiner

Mattias Arvola

Examination

Participation in seminars (70%), leading a seminar, writing and presentation of an essay.

Credit

7,5


Page responsible: Director of Graduate Studies