My father, Dr. Martin Erdmann, commissioned me to draw the cover of his book “Spiritualization of Technology” (translation from the German title). It was a good opportunity to think along more conceptual lines and to come up with eye-catching ideas to represent his work. The book is now available to order on Amazon.
Abstract:
Transhumanism promotes the idea of human enhancement by technological means. In its extremes, futuristic concepts like intelligence enhancement using techniques like genetic engineering, psychopharmacology, antiaging therapies, neural interfaces, wearable/implantable computers, long-lasting internal organ replacement, mental uploading and so forth are propagated from prominent positions like the US Nanotechnology Initiative and the Oxford University philosophy department.
In view of rapid technologic pace in computer science and in nanotechnology, and the already heated debate in the comparatively minor field of gene technology, the book “Spiritualization of Technology” (translation of the German title) offers a step back to have a different look at the debate from an interdisciplinary standpoint. The author, Dr. Martin Erdmann, finds roots of the transhumanist endeavors in the history of philosophy already at the time of the pre-socratic Sophists, then in the example of enthusiastic eras in religion, the 18th century materialistic worldview, the 19th century concepts of ongoing human evolution, the 20th century belief in almighty science and the 21st century nanotechnology development. This line of thought sheds light on the central question that seems as important for transhumanistic futurism as it is for gene technology and for daily patient care: what is the nature of man?