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Humanity 8.0, Season 2, Episodes 5 and 6: “Transhumanism: An Islamic Perspective”. Listen to Professor Ebrahim Moosa, Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Notre Dame (Indiana, USA), interviewed by Dr. Ahmed Bouzid.
❧ Season 2, Episode 5: https://youtu.be/8QQurlrOaYw.
❧ Season 2, Episode 6: https://youtu.be/SY8qa5ZDN9Y.
Episodes 5 and 6 touch on elements of what may be called, generally speaking, an Islamic perspective on Transhumanism—both “Islamic” and “Transhumanism” used here to serve as broad categories. Previous episodes of the Humanity 8.0 podcast can be found here.
In his book What Is a Madrasa?, Professor Moosa examines the role of technology in Islamic education, arguing that traditional Islamic education is not opposed to technology, but rather is willing to embrace it in the service of knowledge. He notes that in the Islamic tradition, knowledge is seen as a gift from God, and therefore the use of technology to expand knowledge is not inherently incompatible with Islamic beliefs.
Similarly, in his book What Is Islamic Reform?, Professor Moosa examines the ways in which Muslim reformers have engaged with modernity, including the impact of science and technology on Muslim societies. He argues that Muslims need to engage critically with modernity and its technological advances, but also recognize the potential benefits of technology for improving human life.
Regarding transhumanism, Professor Moosa expresses some caution about the potential ethical implications of certain transhumanist goals. For example, he has raised concerns about the potential for transhumanist technologies to exacerbate existing social inequalities and deepen the divide between the haves and have-nots.
Main Topics: Transhumanism, Radical Life Extension, Islam, The Qur’an, The Hadiths, Ethics
Links:
• https://keough.nd.edu/people/ebrahim-moosa/
• https://kroc.nd.edu/research/books/what-is-a-madrasa-2015/
• https://curate.nd.edu/show/t435gb22z7q
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