Transhumanist Happiness: An Illusion in the World of Ease

Speaker: Prof. Agnieszka Lekka-Kowalik (John Paul II University of Lublin)

Abstract       

Transhumanism's project of building a ‘better world’ with techno-scientific means promises human beings happiness. Philosophy sees happiness as a lasting and justified contentment with one’s meaningful life. The transhumanist ‘better world’ offers no such happiness. It reduces happiness to fulfilling desires and chasing ever-novel experiences, making happiness a collection of ‘happy moments’ with no relation to truth and goodness. Moreover, realised desires and experiences themselves do not create any meaning of life. Thus, the happiness offered by transhumanism becomes an illusion, even if the world is easy to live in.

 

Bionote

Agnieszka Lekka-Kowalik is a Professor of Philosophy at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), where she has been based since 1997 and currently chairs the Department of Methodology of Sciences within the Faculty of Philosophy. She holds an MSc in chemistry from Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin and conducted research at the Université de Neuchâtel (1993–1996). She has served as Vice Dean, Vice Rector, and Director of the John Paul II Institute at KUL. Her research focuses on the philosophy and ethics of science and technology, including AI.

For further information please contact the Department’s Research Seminars series convenor, Prof. Jean-Paul De Lucca.