This module aims to familiarise students with key transhumanist concepts and arguments, their history and philosophical context. Participants will improve their ability to analyse arguments, criticize texts, write well-argued essays, and question received ideas. At the end of the module, they will, with limited guidance, be able to construct and evaluate as well as formulate and express ideas at an intermediate level of abstraction, and assess and criticize the views of others.

(LO1) Students will be able to distinguish between different ways of understanding concepts in philosophical debates about human enhancement.

(LO2) Students will be able to explain and evaluate some of the main theories in debates about human enhancement.

(LO3) Students will be able to analyse concepts and arguments relating to debates about human enhancement.

(LO4) Students will be able to identify philosophical assumptions underlying ethical claims.

(LO5) Students will be able to structure a philosophical discussion of current ethical issues.

(S1) Ethical awareness.

(S2) Communication skills.

We will discuss the following topics: mythological paradigms, history of transhumanist ideas, human nature, cognitive enhancement, life extension and immortality, mind uploading, mood enhancement, and moral enhancement. Library resources will be accessible through the module reading list, other key learning resources will accessible through VITAL. Students are expected to read all the core resources named on the reading list and to find their own supplementary resources.

Teaching method 1 - Lectures
Description - Lectures are tutor-led activities, offering a map of the syllabus and a framework for independent enquiry-led research. Students are encouraged to engage actively with lectures through, for example: (i) taking opportunities to ask questions during the session; (ii) reflecting on and responding to questions posed to them; (iii) producing questions and notes on issues for subsequent group discussion in seminars.
Attendance Recorded: Yes

Teaching method 2 - Seminars
Description - Seminars are formative spaces of applied and enquiry-led learning based on pre-set readings and challenges, and facilitated by the tutor. Seminars thus offer opportunities for students to respond to tutor- and peer-set questions, deepen understanding, apply ideas, develop arguments and build confidence through group discussion. One or two students take the lead each week through peer-teaching, delivering presentations based on their own enquiries and identification of questions and issues.