Roberto Manzocco Knihy

This book is designed to offer a comprehensive high-level introduction to transhumanism, an international political and cultural movement that aims to produce a “paradigm shift” in our ethical and political understanding of human evolution. Transhumanist thinkers want the human species to take the course of evolution into its own hands, using advanced technologies currently under development – such as robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cognitive neurosciences, and nanotechnology – to overcome our present physical and mental limitations, improve our intelligence beyond the current maximum achievable level, acquire skills that are currently the preserve of other species, abolish involuntary aging and death, and ultimately achieve a post-human level of existence. The book covers transhumanism from a historical, philosophical, and scientific viewpoint, tracing its cultural roots, discussing the main philosophical, epistemological, and ethical issues, and reviewing the state of the art in scientific research on the topics of most interest to transhumanists. The writing style is clear and accessible for the general reader, but the book will also appeal to graduate and undergraduate students.

Genius is a fascinating topic. Everyone has an opinion on it, but not a lot of clarity. Much has been written on the subject - biographies, autobiographies, technical books, popular science books, and practical manuals - but genius in all of its dimensions has yet to be addressed. This book seeks to remedy that. What follows is a work of significant breadth that hopes to facilitate a nuanced popular understanding of the definition of genius, examining all of the main theories and approaches regarding the nature and origin of brilliance, the cognitive path that geniuses follow, and the difference that exists between “geniuses” on one side and “normal people” on the other. Pragmatic indications surrounding this issue are also examined, regarding such questions as: is it possible to become a genius or is genius innate? If it is possible, what is the path – no doubt long and difficult – that one must take? Is there a method for becoming a genius that can be taught and learned? This book will appeal to anyone who has ever contemplated great ideas and works and wondered how they came into being.

Il transumanismo è un movimento filosofico e culturale internazionale che vuole che l'uomo prenda in mano la propria evoluzione biologica tramite l'uso della tecnologia. L'obiettivo finale è quello di raggiungere uno stadio evolutivo "post-umano", in cui noi stessi e i nostri discendenti possiamo godere di una vita lunghissima e di capacità fisiche e mentali superiori a quelle attuali. Un po’ come il “Giano bifronte” della tradizione romana, il movimento transumanista ha due facce, in questo caso una rivolta al presente, ai progressi scientifici e tecnologici attualmente in corso, e l’altra che guarda al mondo che verrà. Il libro costituisce per il lettore un viaggio tra le affermazioni, le idee più concrete e quelle più fantasiose di questi pensatori, ed effettuerà nel contempo un “reality check”, esaminando lo stato dell’arte in ambito tecno-scientifico, andando cioè a vedere che rapporto hanno queste idee con il lavoro e le ricerche degli scienziati non esplicitamente transumanisti.