ISBN10: 0262524287, ISBN13: 9780262524285, [publisher: MIT Press] Softcover Cambridge, MA.: The MIT Press, 2005. Paperback. 422 pp. Papers from a conference held in spring 2001 at the University of Scranton. - As our scientific and technical abilities expand at breathtaking speeds, concern that modern genetics and bioengineering are leading us to a posthuman future is growing. Is Human Nature Obsolete? poses the overarching question of what it is to be human against the background of these current advances in biotechnology. Its perspective is philosophical and interdisciplinary rather than technical; the focus is on questions of fundamental ontological importance rather than the specifics of medical or scientific practice. The authors-all distinguished scholars in their fields-take on questions about technology's goals and values that are often ignored or sidelined in the face of rapid scientific advances and the highly specialized nature of technical knowledge. The essays included represent a rich variety of thought, ranging from finely nuanced philosophical and theological arguments to historical studies and cultural commentaries. Several explore the historical background of today's biotechnology: Timothy Casey traces such developments as the emergence of cybernetic humanity from Cartesian dualism, and Diane Paul presents the history of positive versus coerced eugenics. Jean Bethke Elshtain discusses cloning as a messianic project to perfect the body and ...