Peter Wicks

Peter Wicks is an atheist transhumanist who presented a critique of religious transhumanism at the MTAConf 2013. He holds a PhD in Mathematics from Cambridge, England, earned in 1991.

Since receiving his doctorate, Wicks has worked primarily at the European Commission. His responsibilities there have encompassed a range of policy areas, from environmental policy to research on industrial accidents. In 2011, he took unpaid leave from the Commission to explore alternative career opportunities.

In recent years, Wicks has developed a strong interest in the philosophical implications of emerging technologies. He broadly supports the goals of the transhumanist movement. Although raised as an Anglican Christian, he now identifies as an atheist.

Videos by Peter Wicks

An Atheist Transhumanist Critique of Religious Transhumanism

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Peter Wicks

An Atheist Transhumanist Critique of Religious Transhumanism

2013.04.13

Peter Wicks, a mathematician and policy researcher who describes himself as an atheist, offers a sympathetic but critical examination of religious transhumanism. While acknowledging that religious transhumanists can serve as valuable bridges to religious communities and as dissenting voices within the predominantly secular movement, he warns that religious language may lack the precision needed to navigate toward a transcendent future. Wicks identifies several "limiting beliefs" to avoid—including assumptions that faith must mean belief in God, that transcendent experiences require religious interpretation, and that aesthetics and emotion must be channeled through spirituality—and urges all transhumanists, religious or otherwise, to question even their most cherished beliefs.