Knowing Humanity in the Social World: The Path of Steve Fuller's Social Epistemology - Hardcover

by Francis X. Remedios (Author), Val Dusek (Author)

Explores the impact scientific knowledge has on humanity
Examines Steve Fuller's work in social epistemology
Discusses how the nanosciences, synthetic biology and computer technology is changing humanity to humanity 2.0

Back Jacket

This book examines Steve Fuller's pioneering vision of social epistemology. It focuses specifically on his work post-2000, which is founded in the changing conception of humanity and project into a 'post-' or 'trans-' human future. Chapters treat especially Fuller's provocative response to the changing boundary limitations of the knower due to anticipated changes in humanity coming from the nanosciences, neuroscience, synthetic biology and computer technology and end on an interview with Fuller himself. While Fuller's turn in this direction has invited at least as much criticism as his earlier work, to him the result is an extended sense of the knower, or 'humanity 2.0', which Fuller himself identifies with transhumanism. The authors assess Fuller's work on the following issues: Science and Technology Studies (STS), agent-oriented social epistemology, the university and intellectual life, neo-liberal political economy, intelligent design, Cosmism, Gnosticism, proactionary vs precautionary principles and Welfare State 2.0.

Author Biography

Val Dusek is author of The Holistic Inspirations of Science, Philosophy of Technology: An Introduction and co-edited with Robert Scharff Philosophy of Technology, The Technological Condition. Dusek has previously written on C. S. Peirce, Marxism, the Science Wars, sociobiology and evolutionary psychology.
Francis X Remedios is author of Legitimizing Scientific Knowledge: Steve Fuller's Social Epistemology and numerous articles on Steve Fuller and social epistemology.