Habermas & Identity

In the spirit of keeping my brain from turning to mush now that I am done all my coursework for my MA, I recently purchased Habermas’ The Future of Human Culture, which talks about issues and ethics that surround genetic research. The part that I find particularly interesting is the potential effect on identity. The overall idea is that a person’s identity is intertwined with one’s “nature”. Identity develops from within – from our genetic make up, as well as from outside – socially. If we are to alter a person genetically during the conception stage, pre-selecting traits (medically as well as aesthetically), we potentially alter the essence of that individual’s identity. Although Habermas is asking some serious questions about where we are headed as a species, I wonder what this can bring to theories of identity in the age of technology, cyborg theory, digital life and yes, alter egos found in spaces such as mmog’s.