Drafts by Amanda Sebastienne Grant
Humanism has long celebrated the human, including those qualities which make us uniquely human as... more Humanism has long celebrated the human, including those qualities which make us uniquely human as well as the vastness of human potential. Humanistic psychology has further sought to understand what it means to be human and what conditions facilitate human flourishing and the unfolding of potential. Transhumanism, a movement advocating technologically aided human enhancements, represents a new and rapidly growing manifestation of humanistic ideals. Transhumanism identifies physical human limitations as limitations on potential and seeks to remove all such limits, understanding and often celebrating the fact that such changes could make us no longer recognizably human. Transhuman aims include technologically-aided radical human enhancements in longevity, health, intelligence, emotion, morality, and more. While the implications of transhumanism are being widely debated within fields such as philosophy and religion, contributions from psychology are scarce. With its wealth of wisdom into the heart of issues around what it means to be human, humanistic psychology is particularly well-suited to exploring transhuman issues. In addition to making a case for the involvement of humanistic psychology in transhumanism, the current work explores several specific areas in which humanistic psychology may be fruitfully applied, such as issues of potential and agency.
Papers by Amanda Sebastienne Grant
Subjectivity in psychology in the era of social justice, 2020
Interest in the relationship between psychology and social justice has grown in recent years (Thr... more Interest in the relationship between psychology and social justice has grown in recent years (Thrift & Sugarman, 2019). This interest has included increasing recognition of the ways that psychology perpetuates and/or challenges injustices as well as the impact of societal factors on what is often considered individual psychological wellbeing. However, there has been less recognition of the impact of psychological wellbeing-or lack therefore-on societal conditions. Understanding exactly what social justice is, or should be, as well as what the role of psychology should be in issues of social justice, are complicated topics skillfully explored in Thrift & Sugarman's recent article, What is Social Justice: Implications for Psychology (2019). While this project of articulation is important, the current work argues that the modern Western subject is constructed in such a way as to be in chronic conflict with myriad visions of social justice and greater societal wellbeing. Without addressing the problems of subjectivity, efforts to promote any vision of social justice-both within and beyond psychology-may be deeply hindered.
What Exactly Are We Trying to Accomplish? The Role of Desire in Transhuman Visions. Transhumanism... more What Exactly Are We Trying to Accomplish? The Role of Desire in Transhuman Visions. Transhumanism, an extension of the Western materialistic worldview, places great faith in desire as a guide toward happiness. From within this perspective, transhumanism advocates radical and irreversible human enhancements, arguing that the potential benefits far outweigh the risks. Buddhist philosophy conversely identifies desire as the cause of suffering. In this chapter, Grant explores desire and its relationship with happiness in modern culture, drawing from research on psychology, neuroscience, consumerism, and Buddhist philosophy. Grant argues that desire is in fact a poor guide toward happiness and that transhumanism will likely bring greater suffering as long as it remains led by desire. A concluding section advocates for alternative motivators—such as compassion or attunement to interconnected flourishing—as preferable guides for progress.
Journal of Constructivist Psychology
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Drafts by Amanda Sebastienne Grant
Papers by Amanda Sebastienne Grant