Human Extinction : A History of the Science and Ethics of Annihilation

Torres, Émile P.

ISBN 10: 1032159065 / ISBN 13: 9781032159065

Published by Routledge, 2023

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 45736068-n

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Human Extinction : A History of the Science and Ethics of Annihilation
• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1032159065
• ISBN 13: 9781032159065
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

This volume traces the origins and evolution of the idea of human extinction, from the ancient Presocratics through contemporary work on "existential risks."

Many leading intellectuals agree that the risk of human extinction this century may be higher than at any point in our 300,000-year history as a species. This book provides insight on the key questions that inform this discussion, including when humans began to worry about their own extinction and how the debate has changed over time. It establishes a new theoretical foundation for thinking about the ethics of our extinction, arguing that extinction would be very bad under most circumstances, although the outcome might be, on balance, good. Throughout the book, graphs, tables, and images further illustrate how human choices and attitudes about extinction have evolved in Western history. In its thorough examination of humanity’s past, this book also provides a starting point for understanding our future.

Although accessible enough to be read by undergraduates, Human Extinction contains new and thought-provoking research that will benefit even established academic philosophers and historians.

About the Author

Émile P. Torres is a philosopher whose research focuses on existential threats to civilization and humanity. They have published widely in the popular press and scholarly journals, with articles appearing in the Washington Post, Aeon, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Metaphilosophy, Inquiry, Erkenntnis, and Futures.