Knowing Humanity in the Social World

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvi

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2. Introduction

   • Francis X Remedios, Val Dusek

   Pages 1-8

3. Fuller on Science and Technology Studies

   • Francis X Remedios, Val Dusek

   Pages 9-30

4. Fuller’s Social Epistemology and Epistemic Agency

   • Francis X Remedios, Val Dusek

   Pages 31-44

5. The University and Interdisciplinarity

   • Francis X Remedios, Val Dusek

   Pages 45-63

6. Fuller’s Intelligent Design

   • Francis X Remedios, Val Dusek

   Pages 65-91

7. Fuller, Cosmism, and Gnosticism

   • Francis X Remedios, Val Dusek

   Pages 93-105

8. Proactionary and Precautionary Principles and Welfare State 2.0

   • Francis X Remedios, Val Dusek

   Pages 107-120

9. Conclusion

   • Francis X Remedios, Val Dusek

   Pages 121-125

10. Postscript

    • Francis X Remedios, Val Dusek

    Pages 127-139

11. Back Matter

    Pages 141-179

    PDF

This book examines 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 conditions 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), the university and intellectual life, neo-liberal political economy, intelligent design, Cosmism, Gnosticism, agent-oriented epistemology, proactionary vs precautionary principles and Welfare State 2.0.

• epistemology
• philosophy
• steve fuller
• social epistemology
• Fuller’s Intelligent Design
• Fuller’s Cosmism and Gnosticism
• science studies
• transhumanism
• agent-oriented social epistemology
• Intelligent Design
• Cosmism
• Gnosticism

“Steve Fuller's "Social Epistemology" has morphed into a contemporary concern with the future of the knowing agent (indeed, of mankind) as exemplified in contemporary transhumanism -- or what Fuller calls Humanity 2.0. The nature of this shift constituted a puzzle for many scholars during the last decade. Remedios' and Dusek's book carefully and accurately address the conceptual process, ideological context and very character of this shift. It is therefore a required text for grasping both the complex nature of Fuller's work and the reasons behind his subsequent philosophical 'turn'.” (Alcibiades Malapi-Nelson, PhD, Humber College and Seneca College, Toronto)

• Edmonton, Canada

  Francis X Remedios

• University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA

  Val Dusek

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.

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