Defining Disability in an Age of Enhancement

Last week I made a presentation at a conference on disability rights held at Union College in Schenectady, New York. I was invited by my former student, Joe Stramondo, who is now teaching philosophy in Michigan. The topic that our panel addressed was the impact of enhancement technologies on the understanding of disability.

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Posted by Christopher Sudlik  on  06/01  at  05:51 PM

Very nice article. I very much agree that enhancement has a great many positive outcomes, depending on who sells it. In todays market we will definitely have a dystopia.

But if a company comes along that actually wants to make money in the long term and improve society, and the right-wing political hate of science and personal freedom die off a bit, then we have a good future in store. Or even if the government were to force them be available to all incomes. We could really have an astounding time ahead of us.

What is most exciting to me is the prospect of specific mental enhancements, and longevity. If we become basically immortal, the idea of not paying for our children's education (as a society) becomes ridiculous, even adults that are having trouble finding work could be sent back to school to learn more. And mental enhancements could not only increase the rate at which we learn and process information, but enhance our understanding of the world we live in, expand our imaginations. That is a very astounding possibility, and I look forward to it in every way.

Plus, I have a feeling that enhancements will really expand our ability to help people who have trouble getting along, to give everyone more choices, more freedom. Plus, I think the morals based on biblical ideas will die out when the question of an afterlife is barely relevant due to insanely (or near infinite) life.

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