Problem
When we look back at the course of history we often frame changes in terms of progress and regression. Specifically, when we discuss the impacts of new technologies it is natural to ask "did things improve because of X?" What happened when the printing press was introduced? What about seat belts? How about cell phones and the combustion engine; the divisions of labor, semiconductors, and CRISPR? Has the introduction of these technologies improved humanity?
Asking these questions requires us to unpack the concepts of 'improvement' and 'progress' and to take seriously the claim that bettering some people might mean disadvantaging or harming others.
Module 4 is structured around how we can, and whether we should, harness technology to directly "improve" humanity. Now, this improvement could manifest in a number of different ways: Cognitive, Physical, Emotional, General Health and Longevity, Spiritual, Moral, and Sensoral. For this week's post you need to respond to the general question, "should we use technology to improve humanity?" Think about the perspective that Jasnoff offers in chapter 5 reading (as well as the contrasting perspectives put forward by Savulescu & Persson and Murray). You can focus on any of those specific ways humanity could be improved or you could just talk more generally.