George Dvorsky
Encyclopedia
George P. Dvorsky is a transhumanist futurist, and author of the Sentient Developments blog. Dvorsky is a co-founder and president of the Toronto Transhumanist Association, and currently serves on the board of directors for Humanity+ and the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies
. He is currently working as the director of operations for Commune Media Inc, a Toronto-based advertising and marketing agency.
Dvorsky is a secular Buddhist; technogaian environmentalist; ethical vegetarian; and animal rights
activist. Primarily concerned with the ethical
and sociological
impacts of emerging technologies
, specifically, "human enhancement
" technologies; he seeks to promote open discussion for the purposes of education and foresight. He writes and speaks on a wide range of topics, including technoscience
, ethics
, existential risk
s, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and futurology
, from a democratic transhumanist perspective.
Dvorsky presented an argument for non-human animal biological uplift
at the IEET Human Enhancement Technologies and Human Rights conference at Stanford University
in May 2006; and wrote the first published article in defence of the Ashley Treatment
in November 2006, and subsequently the only bioethicist cited by Ashley X's parents in their defense. Dvorksy also presented an argument warning of the decline of democratic values and institutions
in the face of existential and catastrophic risks at the Global Catastrophic Risks: Building a Resilient Civilization conference in November 2008.
Dvorsky claims to have coined the following neologisms:
Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies
The Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies was founded in 2004 by philosopher Nick Bostrom and bioethicist James Hughes. Incorporated in the United States as a non-profit 501 organization, the IEET is a self-described "technoprogressive think tank" that seeks to contribute to understanding...
. He is currently working as the director of operations for Commune Media Inc, a Toronto-based advertising and marketing agency.
Dvorsky is a secular Buddhist; technogaian environmentalist; ethical vegetarian; and animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
activist. Primarily concerned with the ethical
Ethics of technology
Ethics in technology is a subfield of ethics addressing the ethical questions specific to the Technology Age. Some prominent works of philosopher Hans Jonas are devoted to ethics of technology. It is often held that technology itself is incapable of possessing moral or ethical qualities, since...
and sociological
Technology and society
Technology and society or technology and culture refers to cyclical co-dependence, co-influence, co-production of technology and society upon the other . This synergistic relationship occurred from the dawn of humankind, with the invention of simple tools and continues into modern technologies such...
impacts of emerging technologies
Emerging technologies
In the history of technology, emerging technologies are contemporary advances and innovation in various fields of technology. Various converging technologies have emerged in the technological convergence of different systems evolving towards similar goals...
, specifically, "human enhancement
Human enhancement
Human enhancement refers to any attempt to temporarily or permanently overcome the current limitations of the human body through natural or artificial means...
" technologies; he seeks to promote open discussion for the purposes of education and foresight. He writes and speaks on a wide range of topics, including technoscience
Technoscience
Technoscience is a concept widely used in the interdisciplinary community of science and technology studies to designate the technological and social context of science...
, ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, existential risk
Existential risk
Existential risks are dangers that have the potential to destroy, or drastically restrict, human civilization. They are distinguished from other forms of risk both by their scope, affecting all of humanity, and severity; destroying or irreversibly crippling the target.Natural disasters, such as...
s, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and futurology
Futurology
Futures studies is the study of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them. There is a debate as to whether this discipline is an art or science. In general, it can be considered as a branch under the more general scope of the field of...
, from a democratic transhumanist perspective.
Dvorsky presented an argument for non-human animal biological uplift
Biological uplift
In science fiction, uplift is the development or transformation of animals into an intelligent race by other, already-intelligent beings. The concept appears in David Brin's Uplift series and other science fiction works.-History of the concept:...
at the IEET Human Enhancement Technologies and Human Rights conference at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in May 2006; and wrote the first published article in defence of the Ashley Treatment
Ashley Treatment
The Ashley Treatment refers to a controversial set of medical procedures undergone by a Seattle child, "Ashley X". Ashley, born in 1997, has severe developmental disabilities due to static encephalopathy of unknown etiology; she is, and will remain, at an infant level mentally and physically...
in November 2006, and subsequently the only bioethicist cited by Ashley X's parents in their defense. Dvorksy also presented an argument warning of the decline of democratic values and institutions
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
in the face of existential and catastrophic risks at the Global Catastrophic Risks: Building a Resilient Civilization conference in November 2008.
Dvorsky claims to have coined the following neologisms:
- Astrosociobiology, the speculative scientific study of extraterrestrial civilizationsExtraterrestrial lifeExtraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
and their possible social characteristics and developmental tendencies; - PostgenderismPostgenderismPostgenderism is a diverse social, political and cultural movement whose adherents affirm the voluntary elimination of gender in the human species through the application of advanced biotechnology and assistive reproductive technologies....
, a social philosophySocial philosophySocial philosophy is the philosophical study of questions about social behavior . Social philosophy addresses a wide range of subjects, from individual meanings to legitimacy of laws, from the social contract to criteria for revolution, from the functions of everyday actions to the effects of...
which seeks the voluntary elimination of genderGenderGender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
in the humanHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
species through the application of advanced biotechnologyBiotechnologyBiotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
and assisted reproductive technologiesReproductive technologyReproductive technology encompasses all current and anticipated uses of technology in human and animal reproduction, including assisted reproductive technology, contraception and others.-Assisted reproductive technology:...
; - Techlepathy, neurotechnologicallyNeurotechnologyNeurotechnology is any technology that has a fundamental influence on how people understand the brain and various aspects of consciousness, thought, and higher order activities in the brain...
-assisted telepathy.
External links
- Sentient Developments George Dvorsky's blog
- Will death die? Dvorsky as a guest on The Hour with George StroumboulopoulosGeorge StroumboulopoulosGeorge Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos is a Canadian television and radio personality, best known as the host of CBC Television's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and being a VJ for Canadian music television channel MuchMusic...