Transhumanism: from Julian Huxley to UNESCO

Julian Huxley, founder and the first Director-General of UNESCO, is at the heart of contemporary debates on the nature and objectives of the concept of transhumanism, which he first used in the early 1950s. Therefore, the analysis of his idea of transhumanism - a tool to improve the quality of life and the condition of man - should lead us to question his heritage in terms of philosophy that inspires UNESCO’s action as it seeks to build a comprehensive approach to artificial intelligence that takes into account, among other things, the values and principles of universal ethics and aims to derive the best from the use of this technology. This title where the British biologist, the elder brother of the famous science fiction writer, Aldous Huxley, author of the Brave New World, coexists with the United Nations Organization in charge of Education of Science and Culture is obvious for those who know the history of this international organization or who like radio games: Julian Huxley was appointed as the first Director-General of UNESCO in 1946. But, beyond this evidence, there is a deeper link that highlights the history of the renewal of the idea of transhumanism (I) and questions about the role that UNESCO has, among the other international organizations (II).

Bioethical aspects of robotics in surgery

The article discusses the bioethical aspects of robotics in surgery and assesses the impact of this process on the relationship between the physician and the patient. An engineering model is gradually replacing the traditional paternalistic model of the physician-patient relationship. If paternalism implies the doctor’s attitude to the patient as his sick child, which requires compassion, help, and great responsibility on the part of the doctor, then when implementing the second model, the doctor, like a technical executor, performs only the responsibilities provided by the job description. On the one hand, the dominance of a technical-type model carries the threat of depersonalizing the patient and eliminating contact between the physician and the patient. On the other hand, this contributes to a radical change in the concept of medicine. Why people usually go to doctors? For establishing a diagnosis, prescribing a course of treatment, a prescription, and performing medical manipulations? Machines, leaving a human with a completely different role in the relationship between the physician and the patient, will increasingly perform these actions. The release of doctors from routine tasks will allow them to pay more attention to patient care, fully demonstrating their human qualities. The article analyzes the surgeon’s place in modern medicine and makes an attempt to determine which category the surgery belongs to, “machine territory” or “human territory”.

Establishing the concept of AI literacy

This study aimed to examine the concept, competence, and educational goals of artificial intelligence (AI) literacy to explore the basic competencies required for life in the AI era. Modern society is foreshadowing a new world, unlike the previous framework. Beyond the ability to read and write, literacy now also implies the ability to network and contact wider circles with greater information. In education, the learner’s frame has gained greater importance than the teacher’s frame. AI is playing a central role in making these changes. Similar to writing, AI has entered the system of everyday life and become a target in basic literacy. This study explored the concept and characteristics of AI literacy. AI contributes to enhancing human abilities by expanding human relationships and the scope of acquiring information. However, these characteristics of AI require humans to independently choose what humans need to know and whom to connect with. Knowing what to know is metacognition. Therefore, this study considered metacognition as the competence of AI literacy. In addition, attempting to acquire more accurate knowledge through metacognition is an effort to anticipate an uncertain future. Thus, the purpose of AI literacy is to have anticipation capabilities.

„Je kako je, bit će bolje“

Subjektivna dobrobit obuhvaća doživljaj trenutne i buduće životne situacije. Trenutna razina subjektivne dobrobiti može biti prediktor zdravlja, produktivnosti, prihoda, kvalitete socijalnih odnosa, čak i mortaliteta. Nezaposlenost je prepoznata kao jedna od životnih okolnosti koje na duži period najviše smanjuju subjektivnu dobrobit. Cilj provedenog kvalitativnog istraživanja bio je dobiti uvid u subjektivnu dobrobit nezaposlenih korisnika zajamčene minimalne naknade mlađe odrasle dobi. Tematskom analizom intervjua dobiveni su podaci o doživljaju životne situacije i percepciji budućnosti sudionika te su prikazani kroz ovaj rad. U zaključnim razmatranjima izneseni su prijedlozi za unapređenje prakse, s naglaskom na pristupu socijalnog rada i javnozdravstvenu pristupu.

Kriza tijela

Višestruke su posljedice krize na ljudsku psihu i tijelo, a u ovom radu evaluirat ćemo na koji se način ponajprije umjetnici i filozofi nose s krizama u društvu te kolika je snaga i propulzivnost kreativnog umjetničkog izražavanja pri suočavanju s aktualnom pandemijskom krizom. Na primjerima avangardnih pokreta uočavamo da su umjetnici u doba kriza zauvijek promijenili formalne karakteristike umjetnosti, umjetničkog djela, ali također i samo razumijevanje umjetničkog procesa. Povijesnim osvrtom izvodimo hipotezu da su pojedini umjetnički pravci u doba aktualne krize uspjeli opstati na periferiji upravo zbog duha avangarde koji nose u sebi. Filozofija, pak, reflektira krizu sinkrono s novim umjetničkim pokretima, te se čini da i „postmoderna umjetnost“ i fenomenologija idu usuprot same realnosti. U diskurzivni centar rada postavljamo analizu samog tijela koje je, postavljamo hipotezu, tradicionalno bivalo zanemareno i često stavljano na najnižu poziciju ontološke ljestvice pri mnogobrojnim filozofskim pokušajima kroz povijest. Zaključno, nastojat ćemo adekvatno argumentirati temeljnu hipotezu članka da je tijelo samo ekspresija krize, a da njezinu dublju osnovu valja tražiti u ljudskoj psihi i strukturama subjektivnosti koje su je uvjetovale. Pri čemu nastojimo „rasplesati“ i „raživotiti“ digitalnu tehničku statiku aktualnog stanja socijalne distance uzrokovane pandemijskom krizom, prilazeći joj kao svojevrsnoj sublimaciji povijesnih kriza koje su joj prethodile.

Parenting style and the active involvement of fathers in child-rearing

The active involvement of fathers in child-rearing affects the child’s overall growth and development, and the parenting style impacts the direction of the influence on individual aspects of a child’s life. In order to achieve gender equality in society, it is necessary to raise public awareness of the importance of a father’s gender role, a desirable parenting style, and his inclusion in all aspects of family life. The aim of the research is to determine the level of father involvement in child-rearing, as well as the dominant parenting style based on the children’s assessment. A total of 290 pupils from 10 elementary schools in Osijek-Baranja County participated in this research, all of whom were in grades 5-8. Sociodemographic data, the 2018 parent involvement questionnaire - URU18, and the parenting behavior questionnaire 29 - URP29 were used. The results are in line with research conducted so far, and they indicate the importance of a father’s education and a supportive parenting style aiming at his involvement in housework and child care. Father’s education significantly presupposes his involvement in housework, taking care of school-related duties and obligations, and participation in leisure activities. A supportive parenting style is a significant positive predictor of all forms of father involvement, i.e., housework, school-related duties and obligations, activities, child care, and counseling. The results of this research indicate the importance of raising parental awareness of the importance of the supportive parenting style and the fathers’ involvement in child-rearing.

Is transhumanism the solution to euthanasia?

The article concentrates on the question of euthanasia in relation to the emerging life-extension technologies and the immortality industry within the philosophical framework of transhumanism. I begin by sketching the picture of human enhancement and immortality research and industry and pointing to its preliminary assessment of social impact, drawn by Jacobsen (2017). I present immortalism as a specific branch of transhumanism, leading to the rise of postmortal society informed by neohedonism and negative utilitarianism: oriented towards the pursuit of pleasure and minimization of suffering. I ask the question if in the postmortal society the problem of euthanasia will exist. To answer this question, firstly, I briefly present the changes in understanding the notion of a good death; secondly, I discuss the transhumanist approach to euthanasia. And thirdly, I point to the challenges to the biopolitics of death and dying in the postmortal society. The discussion of these areas leads to the conclusion that the problem of euthanasia in the postmortal society will not disappear; rather, it will become more aggravated due to the paradoxical nature of the transhumanist approach to death, personal freedom, autonomy, and dignity.

The Normative Space of Resilience

This paper intends to provide a way for reflecting on the normative space of resilience with the goal of creating a fruitful cross-disciplinary dialogue on well-being and health. I will point to the epistemological and temporal bias of resilience as two necessary problems that need to be tackled when considering resilience as a dynamic life process. I believe that this is timely research given the several attempts currently being pursued to shape the notion of health and well-being as it pertains to resilience (Rockström et al., 2009).

Motivacija za promjenom ponašanja ovisnika u bolničkom i izvanbolničkom liječenju

Cilj istraživanja bio je ispitati samoprocjenu motivacije za promjenu ponašanja osoba s problemom ovisnosti. U provedenim intervjuima sudjelovale su osobe s problemom ovisnosti koje su se nalazile u terapijskom programu zajednice Cenacolo i Klinici za psihijatriju Vrapče (N = 8). Podaci su obrađeni tematskom analizom. Kod samoprocjene motivacije za uključivanje u program kod sudionika obje skupine ključnim su se pokazale podrška bliskih osoba, nemogućnost normalnog funkcioniranja te vlastita odluka potaknuta značajnim osobama. Motivacija za vrijeme trajanja liječenja kod dviju skupina sudionika bila je različita. Religioznost i duhovnost motiviraju sudionike iz Cenacola, dok je grupna podrška ključna za sudionike Klinike za psihijatriju Vrapče. Razlika je vidljiva i u razmišljanjima o motivima za apstinenciju, gdje sudionici zajednice Cenacolo naglasak stavljaju na molitvu, a pacijenti Klinike za psihijatriju Vrapče na životne promjene.

Communication Problems in Cases Addressed by Clinical Ethics Conferences

In the clinical ethics conference, individual cases are examined as problems to be addressed in a clinical setting. Various types of conflict over care policy are found in each case among the persons concerned–patients, their family members, and care providers–caused by differences of concept or practice of care, basic values, etc. Since these conflicts mostly arise in the form of communication problems, this article classifies some patterns of conversation model, analyzes the structure of the relationship among those concerned, and considers major points. By focusing on the mechanism of individual communication problems, a basic concept of the coping process is proposed.