Human Dignity and the Ethics of Human Enhancement

O’MATHÚNA, Dónal P. 이화여자대학교 이화인문과학원 2013 탈경계인문학 Vol.6 No.1

Human dignity supports the equal value of all humans and their ethical treatment. While human rights conventions use the term frequently, it is rarely defined. The term dignity is used differently, and two dimensions are described in detail. Inherent dignity is an intrinsic dimension held by all humans and is the basis of equal rights for all humans. Circumstantial dignity is another dimension, but is variable and changeable. This is in mind when circumstances are said to enhance or diminish someone’s dignity. The recent critique of dignity arises in part because of conflation of these two dimensions. Others reject dignity because of its religious connections. Such criticisms will be responded to in defense of dignity. Posthuman and transhuman enhancement also raise questions about the value of dignity because of its roots in humanism. Nick Bostrom defends posthuman dignity while critiquing Leon Kass’s bioconservative position. Bostrom’s argument will be critiqued because of his failure to distinguish between inherent and circumstantial dignity, and his misunderstanding of Kass’s claims. In contrast to the transhumanist enhancement project, inherent dignity points to the givenness and limitations of human nature. This indicates the importance of developing gratitude for human nature and avoiding an endless pursuit of perfection. Such an approach is not antagonistic to medicine and science. Instead, it places priority on improving the circumstantial dignity of all human beings, especially those who live without their basic needs being met. Their inherent dignity places a moral obligation on those with resources to help them. Medicine and science should focus on relieving their needs, not enhancing those who already have most needs met. Justice for all humans based on their inherent dignity is proposed as a significant argument against the ethics of transhuman enhancement.

Human Dignity and the Ethics of Human Enhancement

Dónal P. O’MATHÚNA 이화여자대학교 이화인문과학원 2013 탈경계인문학 Vol.6 No.1

Human dignity supports the equal value of all humans and their ethical treatment. While human rights conventions use the term frequently, it is rarely defined. The term dignity is used differently, and two dimensions are described in detail. Inherent dignity is an intrinsic dimension held by all humans and is the basis of equal rights for all humans. Circumstantial dignity is another dimension, but is variable and changeable. This is in mind when circumstances are said to enhance or diminish someone’s dignity. The recent critique of dignity arises in part because of conflation of these two dimensions. Others reject dignity because of its religious connections. Such criticisms will be responded to in defense of dignity. Posthuman and transhuman enhancement also raise questions about the value of dignity because of its roots in humanism. Nick Bostrom defends posthuman dignity while critiquing Leon Kass’s bioconservative position. Bostrom’s argument will be critiqued because of his failure to distinguish between inherent and circumstantial dignity, and his misunderstanding of Kass’s claims. In contrast to the transhumanist enhancement project, inherent dignity points to the givenness and limitations of human nature. This indicates the importance of developing gratitude for human nature and avoiding an endless pursuit of perfection. Such an approach is not antagonistic to medicine and science. Instead, it places priority on improving the circumstantial dignity of all human beings, especially those who live without their basic needs being met. Their inherent dignity places a moral obligation on those with resources to help them. Medicine and science should focus on relieving their needs, not enhancing those who already have most needs met. Justice for all humans based on their inherent dignity is proposed as a significant argument against the ethics of transhuman enhancement.

Quality Assurance of Cultivated and Gathered Medicinal Plants

Akos Mathe,Imre Mathe 한국원예학회 2006 한국원예학회 기타간행물 Vol.- No.-

Isolation of a novel gene encoding a 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol degrading enzyme from a cow rumen metagenomic library

Math, Renukaradhya K.,Asraful Islam, Shah Md.,Cho, Kye Man,Hong, Sun Joo,Kim, Jong Min,Yun, Myoung Geun,Cho, Ji Joong,Heo, Jae Young,Lee, Young Han,Kim, Hoon,Yun, Han Dae Springer-Verlag 2010 Biodegradation Vol.21 No.4

Role of Cel5H protein surface amino acids in binding with clay minerals and measurements of its forces

Math Renukaradhya K.,Nagakumar Bharatham,Palaksha K. Javaregowda,윤한대 한국현미경학회 2021 Applied microscopy Vol.51 No.1

Our previous study on the binding activity between Cel5H and clay minerals showed highest binding efficiency among other cellulase enzymes cloned. Here, based on previous studies, we hypothesized that the positive amino acids on the surface of Cel5H protein may play an important role in binding to clay surfaces. To examine this, protein sequences of Bacillus licheniformis Cel5H ( Bl Cel5H) and Paenibacillus polymyxa Cel5A ( Pp Cel5A) were analyzed and then selected amino acids were mutated. These mutated proteins were investigated for binding activity and force measurement via atomic force microscopy (AFM). A total of seven amino acids which are only present in Bl Cel5H but not in Pp Cel5A were selected for mutational studies and the positive residues which are present in both were omitted. Of the seven selected surface lysine residues, only three mutants K196A(M2), K54A(M3) and K157T(M4) showed 12%, 7% and 8% less clay mineral binding ability, respectively compared with wild-type. The probable reason why other mutants did not show altered binding efficiency might be due to relative location of amino acids on the protein surface. Meanwhile, measurement of adhesion forces on mica sheets showed a well-defined maximum at 69 ± 19 pN for wild-type, 58 ± 19 pN for M2, 53 ± 19 pN for M3, and 49 ± 19 pN for M4 proteins. Hence, our results demonstrated that relative location of surface amino acids of Cel5H protein especially positive charged amino acids are important in the process of clay mineral-protein binding interaction through electrostatic exchange of charges.

Introduction of Lobella infata L. to Hungary

A. Mathe,L. Kursinszki,I. Balvanyos,A. Krajewska-Patan,E. Szoke 한국원예학회 2006 한국원예학회 기타간행물 Vol.- No.-

Antioxidant Activity and Element Content in Elderberry Collected from Different Areas in Hungary

A. Mathe,E. Stefanovits-Banyai,A. Blazovics,B. Z. Sipos,A. Szenthe,A. Heged?s,R. Engel,J. Papp,E. Sardy 한국원예학회 2006 한국원예학회 기타간행물 Vol.- No.-

Effect of the Antioxidant Activity and Element Content in Raspberry Fruits on Human Health

A. Mathe,E. Stefanovits-Banyai,A. Blazovics,B. Z. Sipos,A. Szenthe,A. Heged?s,R. Engel,J. Papp,E. Sardy 한국원예학회 2006 한국원예학회 기타간행물 Vol.- No.-

Low-Power and Low-Hardware Bit-Parallel Polynomial Basis Systolic Multiplier over GF(2m) for Irreducible Polynomials

Sudha Ellison Mathe,Lakshmi Boppana 한국전자통신연구원 2017 ETRI Journal Vol.39 No.4

Multiplication in finite fields is used in many applications, especially in cryptography. It is a basic and the most computationally intensive operation from among all such operations. Several systolic multipliers are proposed in the literature that offer low hardware complexity or high speed. In this paper, a bit-parallel polynomial basis systolic multiplier for generic irreducible polynomials is proposed based on a modified interleaved multiplication method. The hardware complexity and delay of the proposed multiplier are estimated, and a comparison with the corresponding multipliers available in the literature is presented. Of the corresponding multipliers, the proposed multiplier achieves a reduction in the hardware complexity of up to 20% when compared to the best multiplier for m = 163. The synthesis results of application-specific integrated circuit and field-programmable gate array implementations of the proposed multiplier are also presented. From the synthesis results, it is inferred that the proposed multiplier achieves low power consumption and low area complexitywhen compared to the best of the corresponding multipliers.

The Eighth Karmapa Mi bskyod rdo rje (1507-1554) on the Relation between Buddha Nature and its Adventitious Stains

Klaus-Dieter Mathes 금강대학교 불교문화연구소 2017 불교학 리뷰 Vol.22 No.-

고전 이후의 티벳의 여래장 논쟁 가운데, 제 8대 까르마빠(Karmapa) 미꾀 도르제의 견해가 가장 돋보이는데, 이것은 그가 ‘유정의 마음의 흐름은, 붓다들이 갖춘 속성의 미세한 씨앗의 의미에서 조차, 여래장을포함하지 않는다’고 단호하게 부인한 것으로부터 기인한다. 한 개인의 심신의 집합체는 단지 객진 번뇌들로만 구성되어 있다. 모든 것에 편재하지만 존재론적으로 별개인 붓다가 이러한 객진번뇌들에 의해 덮혀 있는 것이다. 결과적으로 ‘속’(俗)과 ‘성’(聖)은 각각 ‘모든 것의 기반이 의식’(kun gzhi rnam shes)와 ‘모든 것의 기반이 되는 지혜’(kun gzhi ye shes)라는 서로 다른 기반을 두고 있으며, 이두 범주는 조낭빠 논사들이 전형적으로 사용하는 것이다. <<입중관론>>주석의 서문에서 미꾀도르제는 또한 ‘생각들이 법신으로서 나타난다’는 마하무드라 가르 침에 대한 일반적인 해석을 비판하여 그 둘이 본질적으로 하나라는 가능성을 배제하였다. 나는 이 논문에서 여래장에 대한 미꾀도르제의 견해를 이해하는 것을 촉진하고자 노력할 것이고, 이는 그가 객진번뇌와의 관계에서 여래장을 어떻게 묘사했는가를 괴로짜와 쇤누뺄(Gos Lo tsā ba gZhon nu dpal, 1392-1481)과 될뽀빠 세랍걜챈(Dol po pa Shes rab rgyal mtshan, 1292-1361)과 비교를 통해 행할 것이다. 이를 위해서 미꾀도르제의 저작들인 <<입중관론>>과 <<현관장엄론>>주석서들(서문), <<꾸쑴오뙤남쌔>>, <<챡가첸뾔되붐>> , 그리고 타공(他空)에 관한 독립적인 저작인 <<우마섄똥마외쐴렉빠르체외된메>>에 중점적으로 다룰 것이다. 괴로짜와 쇤누뺄의 깔라짜끄라 주석서인 <<귀쑴쌍와>>에 대한 미꾀도르제의 리뷰에 특별한 관심을 가질 것인데, 이것에 기반하여 미꾀도르제는 붓다와 다른 개별적 마음의 본성이라는 의미에서 여래장을 부정하기 때문이다. Among the positions within the post-classical Tibetan tathāgatagarbha debates, the Eighth Karmapa Mi bskyod rdo rje’s pointedly stands out by reason of his categorical denial that the mind-stream of sentient beings contains a buddha nature, not even one in the sense of subtle seeds of buddha qualities. The entire repertoire of one’s psycho-physical aggregates consists of nothing but adventitious stains. What is covered up by them is an all-pervading but ontologically separate buddha. Consequently the ‘profane’ and ‘sacred’ also have different foundations, the ‘all-ground consciousness’ (kun gzhi rnam shes) and ‘all-ground wisdom’ (kun gzhi ye shes), two categories that are typical of the Jonangpas. In the introduction to his Madhyamakāvatāra, Mi bskyod rdo rje also criticizes the popular interpretation of the Mahāmudrā teaching that thoughts appear as the dharmakāya and excludes the possibility that the two are one in essence. In the present paper I will seek to further our understanding of Mi bskyod rdo rje’s position on buddha nature by looking at how he describes it in relation to adventitious stains in comparison to ‘Gos Lo tsā ba gZhon nu dpal (1392-1481) and Dol po pa Shes rab rgyal mtshan (1292-1361). The main focus will be his commentaries on the Madhyamakāvatāra (introduction), the Abhisamayālaṃkāra (introduction), the sKu gsum ngo sprod rnam bshad, the Phyag rgya chen po’i sgros ‘bum and Mi bskyod rdo rje’s independent work on gzhan stong, the dBu ma gzhan stong smra ba’i srol legs par phye ba’i sgron me. Of particular interest will be also Mi bskyod rdo rje’s review of ’Gos Lo tsā ba gZhon nu dpal’s Kālacakra commentary rGyud gsum gsang ba, on the basis of which Mi bskyod rdo rje’s denial of a buddha nature in the sense of an individual nature of mind that differs from a Buddha is most forcefully made.