Human Purpose and Transhuman Potential (Hardcover)

Ted Chu

ISBN 10: 1579830250 / ISBN 13: 9781579830250

Published by Origin Press,USA, 2014

About this Item

Hardcover. For millennia, great thinkers have contemplated the meaning and purpose of human existence; but while most assumed that humanity was the end point of creation or the pinnacle of evolution, Ted Chu makes the provocative claim that the human race may in fact be a means rather than an end -- that humankind will give rise to evolutionary successors. In this wide-ranging and authoritative work, Chu re-examines the question of human purpose in light of the extraordinary developments of science and technology. Arguing that a deep understanding of our place in the universe is required to navigate the magnitude of the choices that lie ahead, he surveys human wisdom from both East and West, traces the evolutionary trajectory that has led to this point, and explores the potentials emerging on the scientific frontier. The book addresses the legitimate fears and concerns of playing God but embraces the possibility of transcending biological forms and becoming or creating entirely new life-forms. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781579830250

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Human Purpose and Transhuman Potential (Hardcover)
• Publisher: Origin Press,USA
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1579830250
• ISBN 13: 9781579830250
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

For millennia, great thinkers have contemplated the meaning and purpose of human existence; but while most assumed that humanity was the end point of creation or the pinnacle of evolution, Ted Chu makes the provocative claim that the human race may in fact be a means rather than an end--that humankind will give rise to evolutionary successors. In this wide-ranging and authoritative work, Chu reexamines the question of human purpose in light of the extraordinary developments of science and technology. Arguing that a deep understanding of our place in the universe is required to navigate the magnitude of the choices that lie ahead, he surveys human wisdom from both East and West, traces the evolutionary trajectory that has led to this point, and explores the potentials emerging on the scientific frontier. The book addresses the legitimate fears and concerns of "playing God" but embraces the possibility of transcending biological forms and becoming or creating entirely new life-forms.

About the Author

Ted Chu was formerly chief economist of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (the Middle East's largest sovereign wealth fund) and was also chief economist at General Motors. He has spent the last 15 years in the intensive study of posthuman evolution. He lives in Abu Dhabi.