Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Taoism & A Bio-Genetic Future. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 3 page research paper that first looks at John Hughes' contentions in Citizen Cyborg that humans will soon blend with machines in order to enhance human capabilities and then discusses this development from the standpoint of Taoism. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khcytao.rtf
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
be enhanced," giving us "control over our emotions and memory" (Hughes xii). Hughes imagines that human beings will be able to "merge with machines," and also that "machines will become
more like humans" (Hughes xii). These developments bring up questions of what how being "human" is defined and what, precisely, constitutes "persons" (Hughes xii). Taoism, one of the worlds oldest
religious philosophies, addresses these questions. The central precept of the Lao tzu is "quite simple and has a direct bearing on life" (Lau 41). This message is that people
should endeavor to model themselves on the "Tao," means that the supreme goal for either the common man or the ruler is "survival" (Lau 41). According to the Tao Te
Ching, the seminal text of Taoism, "A man of the highest virtue does not keep to virtue and this why he has virtue. A man of the lowest virtue never
strays from virtue and that is why he is without virtue" (Lao Tzu 99). This suggests that ethics should be flexible and consider circumstance, rather than inflexible and dogmatic.
These references tend to support the bio-technological revolution since these advancements will prolong and enhance life and survival. However, Hughes notes in the introduction to this text that the Japanese
generally oppose organ transplants because they regard taking organs from a person in a permanent coma as murder. In other words, they do not acknowledge a flat brain scan as
indicative of brain death. If the rest of the body is alive, the person is alive. Michael Cheng-tek Tai, professor of bio-ethics and medical humanities at the Chungshan Medical University
in Taiwan, explains that Taoist philosophy highly influences the understanding of ethics for people of the people of Far East Asia. From a Taoist viewpoint, technology is neutral in terms
...