Risking human dignity? Reflections on transhumanist understandings of education

(Publisert i Journal of Philosophy Education, August 2025) Open Access

Transhumanists profess a commitment to the betterment of humanity by transcending human nature and taking control of evolution through scientific interventions that realize humanity’s inherent potentialities. The authors question transhumanist assumptions vis-à-vis education and the understanding of the person, with specific reference to leading metahumanist Stefan Sorgner. In response to Sorgner, the authors critically consider his posthuman paradigm shift, which asserts that some animals may become persons and that sufficiently developed artificial intelligences (AIs) might also warrant the status of personhood. Integral to the authors’ discussion is an understanding of personhood and education in the humanistic tradition, with reference to Kant and Gadamer. The uniqueness of human beings as persons, as well as embodied human dignity, are here deemed to be at risk.