Professor Stefan Lorenz Sorgner to Deliver Keynote at Symposium on Human Enhancement Technologies in Kyoto, Japan

JCU Philosophy Professor Stefan Lorenz Sorgner will be participating in the Kyoto University E3LSI Symposium on March 7, 2025. The event will take place at the Kyoto International Community House (Kotoka) and will bring together some of the world’s foremost thinkers in law, ethics, and philosophy of technology.

Supported by JST’s Moonshot R&D program and endorsed by the Japanese Society for Science and Technology Studies, the Association of Law and Information Systems, and the Information Network Law Association, this symposium is set to be one of the most influential discussions on human enhancement to date.

“We are on the brink of a technological revolution that challenges the very essence of what it means to be human. Human enhancement technologies promise to expand our cognitive and physical abilities, but they raise profound legal, ethical, and philosophical questions. How do we define identity in an age where the human body is no longer a limit? What are the implications for democracy, equality, and human dignity,” said Professor Sorgner.

Leading the discussions are two internationally renowned scholars. Professor Sorgner, a pioneer in transhumanist philosophy, will open the symposium with his talk, “We Have Always Been Cyborgs,” exploring the deep historical and philosophical roots of human enhancement. Professor Mark Coeckelbergh, a leading expert in the philosophy of technology at the University of Vienna, will follow with “Democracy, AI, and Human Enhancement,” tackling the political and ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence and human augmentation.

Adding a Japanese perspective, Dr. Yingjiao Zhu of Yamaguchi University will present “Post-Human Dignity through the Lens of Weak Transhumanism,” examining how Japan’s cultural and philosophical traditions shape its approach to human enhancement. The symposium will also feature expert commentary from Professor Tatsuhiko Inatani (Kyoto University) and Assistant Professor Masatoshi Kokubo (Tokyo University), offering critical legal and ethical insights.

The event will end in a panel discussion, where speakers and participants will engage in a debate on the future of human enhancement. Key issues include the legal status of enhanced individuals, the risks and benefits of human augmentation, and the role of governance in ensuring these technologies develop ethically.