Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Spring 1-1-2017 Techno-Salvation: Developing a Christian Hermeneutic of Enhancement Technology Richard Landrum Wilson Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Wilson, R. L. (2017). Techno-Salvation: Developing a Christian Hermeneutic of Enhancement Technology (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/156 This Worldwide Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TECHNO-SALVATION: DEVELOPING A CHRISTIAN HERMENEUTIC OF ENHANCEMENT TECHNOLOGY A Dissertation Submitted to the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Richard L. Wilson May 2017 Copyright by Richard L. Wilson 2017 TECHNO-SALVATION: DEVELOPING A CHRISTIAN HERMENEUTIC OF ENHANCEMENT TECHNOLOGY By Richard L. Wilson Approved February 28, 2017 _______________________________ _______________________________ Dr. Darlene Weaver Dr. Elizabeth Agnew Cochran Professor of Theology Associate Professor of Theology (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) _______________________________ Dr. Gerard Magill Professor of Healthcare Ethics (Committee Member) _______________________________ _______________________________ James C. Swindal, Ph.D. Marinus Iwuchukwu, Ph.D. Dean, McAnulty School of Liberal Arts Chair, Department of Theology Professor of Philosophy Associate Professor of Theology iii ABSTRACT TECHNO-SALVATION: DEVELOPING A CHRISTIAN HERMENEUTIC OF ENHANCEMENT TECHNOLOGY By Richard L. Wilson May 2017 Dissertation Supervised by Darlene Fozard Weaver, PhD A cadre of scientists, philosophers, and ethicists labeled transhumanists and posthumanists argue that by strategic use of technology we can greatly enhance human beings into our next stage of evolution. Rather than leave the evolutionary process to natural results, transhumanists and posthumanists want to shape humanity to meet our own desires. This direct goal of changing human beings has profound implications for Christian faith and practices. At the same time, there is no reason to think that the utilization of technological enhancements will not happen. As such, to best meet the challenge, it is unavoidable for Christians to engage transhumanism and posthumanism in an attempt to help guide which technologies should be pursued and which should be avoided. This project works toward that end. iv Beginning with competing views of what it means to be human the common positions of physicalism and substance dualism are shown wanting despite strong arguments in their favor. This project argues for a middle position – ensoulment – that attempts to take the best of both approaches but minimize their weaknesses. Likewise, this project examines the moral positions that propose the only moral criteria that matters is either “personhood only” or “human nature only.” Both of these positions are likewise found wanting and a third mediating position is pursued – an agency of relational responsibility. With these preliminary issues established, this project then proceeds to develop a hermeneutic of enhancement from a Christian perspective. The hope is that by following this model, Christians can help guide, accept, or reject various technologies as they are presented. The push for human enhancement cannot be stopped – there are simply too many goods to be obtained by their pursuit. However, any particular enhancement is not inevitable, and by utilizing the hermeneutic proposed in this project Christians can principally evaluate which enhancements should be allowed and which should be avoided. v DEDICATION To my Lord and my God, the one guides my steps and has saved my soul. And to my wife, Jaime. No one has sacrificed more for this journey than you. You are the kindest and most generous person I have ever known, and I am humbled to call you my wife. Thank you for all that you do and all that you have done. And to my children: David, Ashleigh, and Ryan. You are joys of my life. Thank you for your patience when I could not play with you or attend your many functions. I will endeavor to redeem the lost time. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are simply too many people to thank and acknowledge for their help, love, and dedication through this process. Thus, if I have somehow left you out then please accept my deepest apologies. To the faculty of Duquesne’s Theology department, thank you for your guidance and the opportunity to study under you for the past few years. You have stretched and challenged me in ways I did not think were possible. To Dr. Weaver, thank you for your hands-on guidance through the dissertation. Your kindness, insight, and supervision were always appreciated and I hope to one day be as productive as you are. To my readers, Dr. Cochran and Dr. Magill, thank you for your help and feedback. Your professionalism and kindness are the hallmarks of true scholars and generous souls. To Dr. Wright thank you for your tutelage as your TA, I have incorporated many of your techniques into my own classes. To Dr. Mackler – who introduced me to this fascinating field of transhumanism and posthumanism – and to whom I have been a TA for a number of semesters, thank you for giving me the opportunity of help you with your classes, I have likewise utilized a number of your techniques and lessons in my own classes. To Dr. O’Brien, whom was chair of the Theology Department for the bulk of my time as a student, thank you for your direction and interest in me as a budding instructor and student, your leadership was always carried out with warmth and compassion. To the faculty at Southern Evangelical Seminary, thank you. To Dr. Tom Howe, you were a model for the type of professor I want to be – intelligent, informed, and whimsical. To Dr. Richard Howe, thank you for our many talks, our very first vii conversation many years ago shaped the direction of my academic studies. To Dr. Leventhal, your kindness, compassion, and holiness are enviable. Your love for the Lord is palpable and infectious. To Dr. Geisler, your influence on my intellectual life is obvious to many. To Dr. Detzler, your dedication to God’s Kingdom is inspiring and your compassion for your students is evident to all who know you. To my friends and colleagues from Duquesne, each of you have influenced me in many ways for the better. To my cohorts at Duquesne, David Demboski, Jeff Schooley, Joyce Konigsberg, as well as Steve Perry, Justin Pearl, Mike McGravy, and Dr. Ben Burkholder. Thank you all for your friendship and our many conversations, I learn something from each of you whenever we talk and you each have expanded my intellectual horizons in surprising ways. To my friends and colleagues from Southern Evangelical Seminary, I have developed deep and lasting friendships with each of you and your influence on my life should be apparent to anyone that knows me. To Dr. Doug Beaumont, Mike Hipsley, and Dr. Jason Reed – my life is more enriched and stimulating by the sheer fact I have the honor to call you friends and brothers. To Matt Graham, Duke and Nora Hale, Dr. Brandon Dahm, Dr. Bryan Appley, Dr. Doug Potter, Matt Barclay, Simon and Nel Brace, and Dr. Chris Tweedt – thank you for your friendship and the many conversations over the years, each of you holds a special place in my spiritual and intellectual life. To my church family in Pittsburgh, thank you. To Dr. Chuck Gohn, thank you for the opportunity to teach and participate with this body of believers – it has been a joy and an honor. To Austin Gohn and Nick Coniglio, thank you for your friendship and our varied discussions on a wide range of topics. viii To my family members, thank you for your patience as we moved away so that I could pursue this degree. Your love and support has carried us through these years and would not have been possible without you. To my mother and step-father, thank you for all of your support. The fact that you believed I could do this was a motivating factor to pursue this degree. To Sid and Lauren, as well as Kati Mac, Madi, Jake, Cameron, and Emmy – thank you for your support and prayers as we trekked on this adventure. To Tori, thank you for your ever optimistic outlook and love. To my father-and-mother-in-law thank you for allowing me to drag Jaime even further away so that I could pursue this degree – your support and generosity have not gone unnoticed. To Nana, though death has just taken you from us, your love and prayers have sustained us these years and can be felt over the many miles that separate us. To GiGi, who also recently passed away, your love and generosity have likewise kept us going when times were difficult, we would not have been able to do this without you. Finally, to my wife and children. Words cannot express the gratitude I have for you and your willingness to follow me in pursuit of this degree. I owe you each my very life and I will strive to make myself worthy of the titles husband and father. Jaime, your love, support, compassion, encouragement, and gentleness are the hallmarks of a godly woman. I will never stop trying to earn your affection for the sacrifices you have made. I pray I prove worthy of your generosity and charity. To David, Ashleigh, and Ryan, Daddy has missed too many playdates and other events, but that is going to change. Each of you are growing into wonderful and godly people and I am excited (if not also a bit saddened by how quickly you have grown) to see the quality of character each of you will develop as you grow.