I am a philosopher, literary critic, editor, and author, based at the University of Newcastle, Australia.
My recent books include: 50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009; co-edited with Udo Schuklenk), Freedom of Religion and the Secular State (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), 50 Great Myths About Atheism (Wiley-Blackwell, 2013; co-authored with Udo Schuklenk), Humanity Enhanced: Genetic Choice and the Challenge for Liberal Democracies (MIT Press, 2014), Intelligence Unbound: The Future of Uploaded and Machine Minds (Wiley-Blackwell, 2014; co-edited with Damien Broderick), and The Mystery of Moral Authority (Palgrave Pivot, 2016)..
I'm a prolific essayist and commentator with interests including legal and political philosophy, philosophical bioethics, philosophy of religion, and debates involving visions of the human future.
I am a Fellow with the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, a Laureate of the International Academy of Humanism, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Evolution and Technology.
I have also had some success as a science fiction and fantasy author, including my fantasy story "The Sword of God" (which won both a Ditmar Award and Aurealis Award in 1997) and an original trilogy written for the Terminator franchise. I've won the William Atheling, Jr., Award for Criticism and Review (in the fantasy and science fiction field) on three occasions, including for my co-authored book Strange Constellations: A History of Australian Science Fiction (Greenwood Press, 1999; co-authored with Van Ikin and Sean McMullen).
May 03, 2016 23:25 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law
Shamings fall and rise Public shaming is not new. Its been used as a punishment in all societies - often embraced by the formal law and always available for day-to-day policing of moral norms. Over the past couple of...
Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility
Labour can afford to be far more ambitious with its economic policies – voters are on board
Sudan: civil war stretches into a second year with no end in sight