Victor Cole
Doctoral Student (Bioethics)Email: elcvmc@nus.edu.sg
Thesis Topic:
"Biotechnology and the Future of Natural Rights"
My thesis examines the implications for neo-Aristotelian natural rights theories that take a relatively fixed human nature as the foundation for rights in a future scenario in which human beings begin to direct their own evolution through the resources of biotechnology. As well as examining how such a development might disturb the theoretical foundations of such rights theories, the thesis also considers how natural rights protections might be claimed both by would-be modifiers of human beings and those who may be modified. It concludes by considering the future viability of neo-Aristotelian natural rights theories in a so-called "posthuman future'.
Supervisors:
Interests:
Natural rights theory, bioethics (particularly issues arising from genetic engineering), critical thinking.
Current position:
I am a Lecturer with the Centre for English Language Communication at the National University of Singapore, where I coordinate a module for Engineering and Nursing students titled Critical Thinking and Writing.
Qualifications:
- BA (Hons) in English Language & Literature University of Reading, 1991
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education in English University of Oxford, 1993
- MA (with Distinction) in Critical Theory University of Nottingham, 1996.
Recent Conference Papers:
"The nurse as facilitator of critical thinking." Invited paper given at the 1st Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing (Singapore) International Nursing Conference: "Optimising Outcomes for the Future of Nursing", Singapore, 10-14 July 2007.
"Natural rights in a 'posthuman' future." Paper presented at the 8th World Congress of Bioethics: "A Just and Healthy Society", Beijing, China, 4-9 August 2006.
"Developing critical thinking through bioethical issues." Invited paper presented at the 2nd Singapore Ministry of Health International Conference:"Charting the Strategic Direction for Nursing in the 21st Century", Singapore, 18-23 July, 2005.