"This book explores Technological Human Enhancement Advocacy through ethnographically inspired participant observation across a range of sites. James Michael MacFarlane argues that such advocacy is characterized by 'Techno-centrism, ' a belief grounded in today's world while being also future-oriented and drawn from the imagination. This blurring of 'real' and 'imagined' futures borrows from the materialist grounding of the scientific worldview, while granting extended license to visions for technology as an enabler of forward-facing action, which include reviving humanist ideals associated with the modernization project. While Techno-centrism is arguably most pronounced in transhumanism--where it is acted-out in extreme, almost hyperbolic ways--it reflects more generally held, deep-seeded concerns around the future of science, technology and human self-identity in the new millennium. Far from being new, these emerging social forms capture unresolved ambivalences which have long cast a shadow over late-modern society and culture."-- Provided by publisher

lgrsnf/450.pdf

scihub/10.1007/978-3-030-40090-3.pdf

zlib/no-category/MacFarlane, James Michael/Transhumanism as a New Social Movement (The Techno-Centred Imagination) ||_112316749.pdf

The techno-centred imagination: transhumanism through the lens of new social movement theory'

James Michael MacFarlane

Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Palgrave studies in the future of humanity and its successors, 1st ed. 2020, Cham, 2020

Palgrave studies in the future of humanity and its successors, Cham, Switzerland, 2020

Springer Nature, Cham, 2020

Switzerland, Switzerland

1, 20200519

1, US, 2020

sm82075519

Source title: Transhumanism as a New Social Movement: The Techno-Centred Imagination (Palgrave Studies in the Future of Humanity and its Successors)

Contents
Chapter 1: The Transhuman Condition: Science Slightly over the Edge?
1.1 Background for Study
1.2 Motivations/Key Contributions
1.2.1 Motivations
1.2.2 Key Contributions
1.3 Overview of Thesis
References
Chapter 2: Moving Beyond Humanism: A Review of Literature
2.1 Self-Identity, Framing and Narrative in ‘New’ Social Movement Theory
2.1.1 ‘New’ Social Movement Theory: A Post-War Paradigmatic Shift Towards Identity
2.1.2 ‘New’ Social Movement Analysis: Framing, Narrative and the ARRR Model
Framing Theory/Narrative Analysis
The ARRR Classification Scheme of Social Movement Objectives
2.2 Contested Transhumanisms: Internal Versus External Histories
2.2.1 Prelude: ‘Proto-transhumanists’ and Etymology of the Term Transhumanism
2.2.2 From Evolutionary View to Philosophical Position: The Formalisation of Transhumanist-Extropianism in the 1990s
2.3 Mobilisations: Techno-Utopian Collective Action Frames?
2.3.1 Early Transhumanist Organisations in the Twenty-First Century: 1998–2008
2.3.2 Party Politicisation of Transhumanism: 2014–Present
2.3.3 Technologised Collective Action Frames and Science as a Social Movement
2.4 Conclusions
References
Chapter 3: Methods and Methodology
3.1 Conceptual Framework: Imagining the ‘Unsited Field’
3.1.1 ‘Doing’ Multi-sited Ethnographically Inspired Work
3.1.2 Selections: Choosing Sites and Subjects
3.2 Research Practice: Moving Between Sites and Subjects
3.2.1 Overview of Fieldwork Activities
3.2.2 Interventions
3.3 Processing Data: Crafting an Analytic Narrative
3.3.1 Principles of Analysis
3.3.2 Method of Analysis
3.4 Conclusions
References
Chapter 4: Constituents
4.1 Demographics: The Presentation of Self in Offline/Online Spaces
4.1.1 The Range of Constituents: Observed
4.1.2 The Range: Self-Described
4.2 Memetic Travel and Standards: Networked Propagation of an Idea (l)......
4.2.1 Memetic Travel
4.2.2 Standards
4.3 Affinity: Boundaries, Inclusivity and Social Integration
4.3.1 Boundaries
4.3.2 Inclusivity
4.4 Conclusions
References
Chapter 5: Mobilisations
5.1 TELOS: Modelling the ‘Objectivisation’ of Human Enhancement
5.1.1 Networked Advocate Taxonomy of THE
5.2 IN POTENTIA: The Possibilities Inscribed Within Technology
5.2.1 The Three S’s
Super-Intelligence
Super-Longevity
Super-Wellbeing
5.3 VIA: Travelling Through, En Route
5.3.1 Continuity Versus Cessation
5.3.2 Milestones
5.4 TECHNE: The Artful ‘Craft’ of Transhumanism
5.4.1 The Importance of Public Image
5.4.2 THEA as Techno-Humanistic Narrative-Building
5.5 Conclusions
References
Chapter 6: Politics
6.1 ATROPHY: The Disintegration and Inertia of Contemporary Politics
6.1.1 Inadequacy of Party Politics
6.1.2 Relevance of Party Politics?
6.2 ACTIVISM: Tensions Between Virtual and Embodied Politicking
6.2.1 Increasing Political Recognition: The Transhumanist Party
6.2.2 ‘Hands off’: Should THE Be Politicised?
6.3 AUTONOMY: The Individuated Consumer as Self-Determining Agent
6.3.1 ‘Proactionary’ Self-Experimentation and Bodily Sovereignty
6.3.2 Free Markets, Free Choice
6.4 Conclusions
References
Chapter 7: Existence
7.1 ATHEISM: Closed-Individualism and Techno-Secular Humanism
7.1.1 ‘Closed Individualism’ via Technologised Secular Humanism?
7.1.2 Non-dogmatism = Better Transhumanism?
7.2 THEISM: The Technology of Post-Secular Community
7.2.1 Transhumanism as a Quasi-Religious Movement?
7.2.2 THEA as Basis for Secular ‘Community of Interest/Value(s)’?
7.3 RATIONALISM and FAITH: The Seduction of Promise in Lieu of Certainty
7.3.1 The Unknown Versus Unknowable: Dovetailing with the Fringe and Esoteric
7.3.2 THEA as Jovial, Visceral Performance
7.3.3 Technology as Consumable ‘Hope’
7.4 Conclusions
References
Chapter 8: The Techno-Centred Imagination
8.1 Revisiting the Thesis Themes
8.1.1 Constituents, Direction, Politics and Existence: The Techno-Centred Ensemble
8.1.2 Ensemble: The Techno-Centred Imagination
8.2 Reflections on Multi-sited Study
8.2.1 Advantages to Multi-sited Research Strategy
8.2.2 Challenges of Multi-sited Research Strategy
8.3 Directions for Further Research
8.3.1 Ideational Conviction Mapping
8.3.2 Institutional Steering Mechanisms?
8.4 Final Conclusions
References
Index

Palgrave Studies in the Future of Humanity and its Successors
Erscheinungsdatum: 20.05.2020

2020-06-02