Posthuman transformation in ancient mediterranean thought : Becoming angels and demons
Book
Litwa, M. David. (2021). Posthuman transformation in ancient mediterranean thought : Becoming angels and demons Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108921572
Authors | Litwa, M. David |
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Abstract | There is not just a desire but a profound human need for enhancement - the irrepressible yearning to become better than ourselves. Today, enhancement is often conceived of in terms of biotechnical intervention: genetic modification, prostheses, implants, drug therapy - even mind uploading. The theme of this book is an ancient form of enhancement: a physical upgrade that involves ethical practices of self-realization. It has been called 'angelification' - a transformation by which people become angels. The parallel process is 'daimonification', or becoming daimones. Ranging in time from Hesiod and Empedocles through Plato and Origen to Plotinus and Christian gnostics, this book explores not only how these two forms of posthuman transformation are related, but also how they connect and chasten modern visions of transhumanist enhancement which generally lack a robust account of moral improvement. |
Keywords | transmigration, moral and ethical aspects; philosophy, ancient; angels; demonology; self-realization |
ISBN | 9781108843997 |
9781108926058 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108921572 |
Page range | 1-196 |
Publisher's version | License All rights reserved File Access Level Controlled |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Online | Dec 2020 |
2021 | |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 22 Jun 2021 |
Year | 2021 |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Place of publication | Cambridge, United Kingdom |
New York, NY |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8w423/posthuman-transformation-in-ancient-mediterranean-thought-becoming-angels-and-demons
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