Regenerative medicine

“Think about different technologies that man is creating that may be characterized as an escape from the “human condition” and discuss how it affects the human condition. Use different philosophers to help your argument.”

Write a 3-4 page (double-spaced) paper on the topic below. Please use 12 font (Times New Roman). Remember that any attempts at plagiarism result in an automatic fail for this course. You may quote primary and secondary sources to help your argument, but you must properly cite them in footnotes (ex. Heidegger, Martin (1968) ‘Introduction: Being and Time’ in Martin Heidegger’s Basic Writings, San Francisco: Harper, p.42). Though you may quote other philosophers, please keep these quotes to a minimum. I am interested in your personal thoughts and ability to think critically.

Topic: We recently read the Preface to Hannah Arendt’s The Human Condition where she speaks about the state of modern man, after the space launching of Sputnik in 1957. She quotes a Russian scientist who states “Mankind will not remain bound to the Earth forever”. She further speaks of our desire to leave this Earth and the human (finite) condition handed down to us, asserting “This future man, whom the scientists tell us they will produce in no more than a hundred years, seems to be possessed by a rebel-lion against human existence as it has been given, a free gift from nowhere (secularly speaking), which he wishes to exchange as it were, for something he has made himself.” In this paper, I would like you to think about the different types of technology man is creating that may be characterized as an escape from the “human condition”. You can explore different aspects of space technology (remember the political party the “Space Cowboys”?) You may provide an analysis of technologies used in regenerative medicine that seek to extend the human lifespan. You may analyze certain performance technologies that are used to enable or enhance the human body (i.e. steroids used for better sport performance, or prosthetics used to enable human mobility). Or, you may explore different environmental technologies. Whatever technology you choose to focus on, make sure you provide a critical analysis of how this technology affects the human condition. Such an inquiry will address the diverse ethical and political questions that arise with its implementation (as discussed in class, you may want to address whether we have a moral responsibility to future generations). Also, think about how you can use the different philosophers we’ve discussed over the semester to help your argument. Heidegger’s essay The Question Concerning Technology could prove useful. You could also think about our lecture “We are Finite” where we used Montaigne and Heidegger to talk about death being a natural part of the human condition (remember that we also discussed researchers such as Aubrey De Grey who seek to end aging).

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