Overcoming Limitations: the Rhetorical Impact of Science Fiction on the Transhumanism Debate
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OVERCOMING LIMITATIONS: THE RHETORICAL IMPACT OF SCIENCE FICTION ON THE TRANSHUMANISM DEBATE BY SAMUEL FLETCHER A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Communication May 2012 Winston-Salem, North Carolina Approved By: Michael J. Hyde, Ph.D., Advisor Alessandra Beasley Von Burg, Ph.D., Chair Nancy M. P. King, J.D. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Let me preface this section of gratitude by stating from the outset that it is impossible to thank everyone who has helped me reach this point. I hope that this qualification provides enough consolation for those who made an enormous impact on my life and my research but do not appear in the paragraphs below. If not, drinks are on me next time we see each other. First and foremost, I am indebted to my parents, David and Michele, for providing the genes and environment that made this project, and everything else I’ve accomplished through 30 years of existence, possible. I can never repay you for everything you’ve done for me, but I promise to start soon! To my brother, Paul: thanks for helping this Connecticut boy feel connected to home through our conversations about Huskies basketball. Rebecca, I’m not sure how I would have gotten through grad school without your love, support, and motivation. It can’t be easy living with a messy graduate student knee-deep in thesis research, but somehow you put up with it. You made moving to Winston-Salem the best decision of my life. To Dr. Michael Hyde: thank you for continually challenging me with my research and writing. Without your constant reminders to show “how the text means” I’m sure this thesis would be in much worse shape. Thanks for being the type of advisor I needed. I offer my sincere thanks to the rest of my examining committee: Dr. Alessandra Beasley Von Burg for as much the rhetorical knowledge she instilled within me as her friendly demeanor and advice; and Nancy King, for getting this whole thing started by guiding me through the vast genre of science fiction and directing me toward the works of Nancy Kress. I’d also like to thank the entire Wake Forest Department of Communication, especially Dr. Allan Louden and Dr. John Llewellyn, for taking a chance on an undistinguished American Studies undergrad with little to no communication background outside of some tangential work experience. I hope that your risk has paid off for you as much as it has for me. Hearty thanks go out to all my friends and colleagues who convinced me that graduate school would be a worthwhile endeavor and helped me through the tough spells with humor, guidance, and compassion. The list is far too long to name everyone, but I’d like to offer special acknowledgment to Brian Clark, Matt Bennett, Peter Suffredini, Bobby McKeon, Jon Bove, Eric Chandler, Dan Lovegrove, Kingsley Choi, and Jill Greenwood. Finally, I’d like to thank Pepper. You’ll never know how beneficial those walks were when it felt like I couldn’t write another page. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..............................................................................................v ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................1 Literature Review...........................................................................................................6 Public Understanding of Science and the Ethics of Biotechnology ..................7 Cyborg Bodies and Genomics .........................................................................14 Rhetorical Criticism and Transhumanism .......................................................19 Science Fiction, Transhumanism, and Rhetorical Criticism ........................................23 CHAPTER TWO: THE RHETORIC AND ETHICS OF THE TRANSHUMANISM DEBATE ............................................................................................................................35 The Promise and Problems of Transhumanist Rhetoric ..............................................42 Maintaining Existence: The Rhetoric of Transhumanist Opposition ..........................52 CHAPTER THREE: SCIENCE FICTION’S DIALOGIC IMPACT ON THE TRANSHUMANISM DEBATE .......................................................................................69 Plot Summary of the Beggars Trilogy .........................................................................71 Rhetorical Analysis of the Beggars Trilogy ................................................................76 Synecdoche and Metaphor in Protagonists and Antagonists .......................................76 The Rhetorical Impact of Unintended Consequences ..................................................87 Scientific Language as Translational Rhetoric ............................................................94 Emphasizing the Importance of General and Rhetoric Criticism ..............................100 The Rhetorical Impact of First-Person Narrative .......................................................105 iv CHAPTER FOUR: IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS .......................................116 The Practical Implications of the Beggars Trilogy ....................................................117 Conclusions on the Rhetoric of the Transhumanism Debate .....................................122 Considerations for an Ethical Approach to the Transhumanism Debate ...................126 Suggestions for Future Research ...............................................................................131 WORKS CITED ..............................................................................................................134 CURRICULUM VITAE ..................................................................................................139 v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Beggars and Choosers ..................................................................................................... BC Beggars in Spain ............................................................................................................... BS Beggars Ride ..................................................................................................................... BR vi ABSTRACT Advancements in biotechnology have led to the development of the transhumanist ideology, the belief that humankind should harness the power of emerging technologies in genetics, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology to enhance human existence past its current physiological and mental capabilities. Proponents of transhumanism face considerable opposition from those who believe humanity must avoid the temptation of radical biotechnology. From the rhetoric disseminated by both groups a problematic debate emerges, one marked by strident dogmatism and intractability from each side. This thesis examines the rhetoric of the transhumanism debate and argues that a new approach to deliberation is necessary. I contend that science fiction, specifically a trilogy by novelist Nancy Kress, offers rhetoric promoting dialogic, productive communication rather than the antagonistic monologue of the current debate. In analyzing the various rhetorical strategies used by Kress and how they operate rhetorically within the texts, I suggest that the “other-focused” ethical paradigm espoused throughout the trilogy is an appropriate template to transcribe onto the transhumanism debate. I conclude with thoughts on how Kress’ ideology can disrupt current obstinate rhetoric from pro- and anti-transhumanists and what the transhumanism debate may look like once a more dialogic approach to deliberation is adopted. vii What is great in man is that he is a bridge and not a goal. – Nietzsche1 1 Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra. 1 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION The future has always been an area of fascination for me. Uncovering the unknown and better understanding oneself are noble goals and worthy endeavors that often result from with thinking about what is yet to come. The allure of the future led to my interest in transhumanism and trying to comprehend questions of what it means, why people promote it, how feasible it is, and whether or not it is an ethical ambition. In searching for answers, examining the rhetoric of the transhumanist movement and its considerable opposition becomes paramount. A great debate emerges when exploring pro- and anti-transhumanist rhetoric and with it comes an ethical dilemma for humanity with possible catastrophic consequences if the wrong choice is made. With that in mind, what follows are thoughts on transhumanism, on the potent and problematic rhetoric for or against the ideology, and on a prospective solution for reaching beneficial policy decisions regarding transhuman technology: science fiction. I write about the future hoping to reveal a little of the unknown and provide a slightly more complete understanding of humanity. Transhumanism, as with many other contentious elements of modern society, is problematized by lacking a concrete definition experts and the public agree on. This failure in naming is due in large part to the seemingly inherent desire of commentators to insert ideological preference into the defining process. The result is a term that is never neutral, always teeming with