Biopolitics and dystopia: genomics in Michael Crichton’s Next Resumen: En este artículo se busca demostrar que, mientras el desarrollo científico es propulsado por el pensamiento tecno-optimista, el discurso prevalente sobre genómica en la cultura de masas es pesimista y tiene potencial para impedir la construcción de respuestas adecuadas a los desafíos biopolíticos por parte de los sistemas políticos y jurídicos. Aquí se sostiene que la utopía genómica es la única propuesta optimista que estimula las investigaciones científicas y que permite pensar (...) en las posibles regulaciones y los cambios necesarios para la conceptualización de la idea de propiedad. Estos problemas son ilustrados con la ayuda del libro de Michael Crichton, Next, que proporciona numerosos ejemplos distópicos. Summary: The article seeks to demonstrate that while scientific development is pro- pelled by technooptimistic thought, the prevalent discourse about genomics is pessimistic, which has the potential to forestall the construction of an adequate answer on the part of political and legal systems. It is shown that genomic utopia is the only optimistic proposition which stimulates scientific research as well as enables thinking about regulations and the necessary changes in the conceptualization of the idea of property. These problems are illustrated with the help of Michael Crichton’s book Next, which provides numerous dystopian examples. Palabras clave: biopolítica, distopía, genómica, sociedad abierta, autopropiedad, Crichton. Keywords: biopolitics, dystopia, genomics, open society, self-ownership, Crichton. (shrink)

This paper explores the role of music as a communicative tool between the human and the posthuman. It utilizes the theories of embodiment and performativity of Karen Barad and Deniz Peters, as well as the perspectives of Continental Realism and contemporary phenomenology. The examples are drawn from a range of pieces of speculative fiction: dystopia, biopunk and science-fiction. It is shown that the authors bring to attention the enharmonic quality of the relationship between the ALife and its creators and advocate (...) eupsychian coexistence between these, portraying posthumanity as musica ficta: the sounds without notation that, although not recognized by musica recta, make the invisible part of reality outside of currently described systems. (shrink)

The paper begins with the distinction between different ways of thinking about the posthuman. From the question about the possibility of the formulation of an ethics that goes beyond the precautionary principle the following thesis is defended: posthumanism, in its transhumanist interpretation, is the most consistent standpoint with normative ethics as we know it, if and only if the consequentialist approach characteristic of their supporters is complemented with the deontological one. For this two assumptions are made: the idea of a (...) continuity between humans and posthumans and the right of a human to exercise enhancements on himself/herself that take him/her to a state qualifiable as posthuman, provided that those do not conflict with human dignity. (shrink)