Stanislaw Kaminski Memorial Lectures 2024
The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

 

 

Prof. Stefan Lorenz Sorgner
John Cabot University in Rome

 

May 20-24, 2024

 

Room C220, 10:00 - 13:45 

 

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The course will introduce participants to a great variety of transhumanist approaches, debates, and philosophies. The initial lecture focuses on the history of transhumanism as well as contemporary approaches to transhumanism. Thereby, classical transhumanism which goes along with utilitarianism, utopianism, objectivism, and a linear way of thinking gets distinguished from Euro-Transhumanism which can be traced to and has strongly been influenced by Nietzsche. During the other sessions, specific philosophical challenges which are of contemporary relevance, are being dealt with. They fall into various disciplines and deal with a great variety of topics, e.g. ontologies of emerging technologies, ethics of transhumanism, philosophies of posthuman art, education after the posthuman paradigm-shift. Concerning the philosophy of art, the following challenges are being considered: Should we preserve relevant techniques and artworks from the past and if so, why? Can an AI, even without intentionality, create aesthetically valuable works of art? In the past there was a close connection between music, astrology (magic) and therapy. Is Arthur C. Clark right that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic? What implications does this assessment have for the relationship between music, magic and technology? Concerning emerging technologies, a specific focus lies on gene technologies, brain-computer-interfaces as well as AI: Which philosophical issues arise with the moon being targeted as a center for data storage? Can Starlink increase the likelihood of the coming about of totalitarian political structures? Should a universal public health insurance get adapted, even if the majority is not in favor of it? These questions as well as many others are being tackled during the Kaminski Memorial Lectures 2024.

 

Readings:

 

Questions should be directed to tomasz.lach@kul.pl.