The exploration of space raises new problems in the expression of human freedoms. While the potential to establish new extraterrestrial settlements is thrilling, it also brings along a myriad of decisions to consider when addressing how these settlements should operate in a way which maintains human liberties. In this book, many dimensions of freedom in space are discussed. Aspects of liberty beyond Earth, from the near term: freedom to claim satellite orbits, to the very long-term: freedom on interstellar worldships, are considered. Gathering a diverse set of expertise from scientists, ethicists, lawyers, philosophers and social scientists, they seek to collectively answer questions such as: How should early governance structures be assembled? What are the ideal forms of institutions, from science academies to schools and governments? What freedoms can people expect in space and how will governance beyond Earth tread the fine line between authority and liberty? A compelling analysis of liberties on Earth, the solar system, and beyond - this text is bound to inspire the interests of academics and scientists alike.

"Feminist bioethics of space exploration is a combination of words that we may look for in vain in the philosophical literature, as well as, more broadly, in the humanities and social sciences. Moreover, the bioethics of space exploration itself is a novel area and to date has only lived to see one monograph (Szocik 2023), while the combination of feminism and space exploration is unprecedented. It is noteworthy that in 2023, monographs began to appear raising feminist issues in the context of space exploration, albeit, with few exceptions (Kendal 2023), not in relation to bioethical issues. One of them is the work of Erika Nesvold (2023), in which the author highlights the enrichment of the discussion of the future of humanity in space with a humanistic element, which, as Nesvold points out, is definitely lacking in the approach of those in the space sector. The purpose of this monograph is to fill this niche in the philosophy and bioethics of space exploration and, more broadly, in humanistic thinking about the future of humans in space. We propose a feminist perspective on potential selected problems in space such as human enhancement, gene editing, and reproduction. But, as we emphasize in the book, feminism is inherently an all-encompassing philosophical approach. Hence, the reader of this book will also encounter considerations that go beyond the scope of bioethics and take us into areas such as the very meaning of carrying out space missions and their potential consequences, as well as the exclusion of numerous groups of people on Earth. Such exclusion and discrimination-not only of women, but also of people of a different skin color, background, social class, or ability than the privileged group, and therefore also of many men-cast a shadow over future space policy, which is unlikely to be one of equality, justice, and inclusion. Although the bioethics of space missions considered from a feminist perspective is the focus of this monograph, it is impossible not to highlight and discuss other related elements that, according to feminist philosophy, cannot but affect the moral evaluation of bioethics in space"--

Dopo decenni di grande sviluppo del settore digitale, assistiamo a una rinnovata attenzione per lo spazio di soggetti pubblici e privati, con la simultanea presenza di interessi nazionali strategici di difesa e geopolitici e interessi commerciali rivolti al profitto. Il diritto dello spazio si caratterizza per un nocciolo internazionalistico, ma, oggi, non può più essere semplicemente definito come una branca del diritto internazionale. Vi sono problemi e complicazioni dovuti alla presenza di interessi differenti e di culture giuridiche differenti che richiedono uno sforzo significativo di compromesso e apertura mentale per essere riconciliati con comune soddisfazione, per ottenere la cooperazione e l'adesione pacifica alle soluzioni adottate da parte di tutti i soggetti coinvolti. L'evoluzione tecnologica e il conseguente crescente ruolo dell'economia dello spazio richiedono, a tutti i livelli nazionali e internazionali, regole giuridiche più dettagliate e sicure. Contributi presentati alla conferenza "Comparative Visions in Space Law" sono stati selezionati per questo libro, riflettendo l'approccio trasversale che ha caratterizzato il convegno: dialogo tra una molteplicità di esperienze giuridiche e di discipline, dando vita a nuovi orizzonti di collaborazione indispensabili per capire le poste in gioco economiche, geopolitiche e diplomatiche del diritto dello spazio, i suoi aspetti tecnici e le sue difficoltà. DOI: 10.13134/979-12-5977-376-0

This innovative and comprehensive collection of essays explores the biggest threats facing humanity in the 21st century; threats that cannot be contained or controlled and that have the potential to bring about human extinction and civilization collapse. Bringing together experts from many disciplines, it provides an accessible survey of what we know about these threats, how we can understand them better, and most importantly what can be done to manage them effectively. These essays pair insights from decades of research and activism around global risk with the latest academic findings from the emerging field of Existential Risk Studies. Voicing the work of world leading experts and tackling a variety of vital issues, they weigh up the demands of natural systems with political pressures and technological advances to build an empowering vision of how we can safeguard humanity’s long-term future. The book covers both a comprehensive survey of how to study and manage global risks with in-depth discussion of core risk drivers: including environmental breakdown, novel technologies, global scale natural disasters, and nuclear threats. The Era of Global Risk offers a thorough analysis of the most serious dangers to humanity. Inspiring, accessible, and essential reading for both students of global risk and those committed to its mitigation, this book poses one critical question: how can we make sense of this era of global risk and move beyond it to an era of global safety?

When Rab was a baby, his mother made a decision which would change his life. She feared he would be sent to work in the hellish mines of Mercury, to eke out his life until he was worn out, all in the name of maintaning the defense of the Solar Sytem. But when her desperate attempt to flee with her 2 year old failed, she took a desperate step to save him. She cut off his hand. Decades later, Rab has been spared the physical hardships he can no longer endure, and is now based on the Mask, the all-encompassing structure which hides the Solar Sytem from alien eyes. And it is during his watch that a spaceship arrives, one which has travelled for a hundred years from a long-forgotten colony planet. If they pierce the Mask, everything humanity has created will be left open to the alien threat. But this strange ship, bearing an offshoot of the species, may bring something else with them. Hope.

How can impure, earthbound humans gain access to God, who is holy and in heaven? In ancient Israel and much of the ancient world, the answer was obvious: by means of a temple. The temple gives access to God because it images the cosmos. This book explores how the concept of a heavenly temple emerged as an important theological concept for early Christians. They developed their understanding of Christ and his work in part through their understanding of heaven as a temple. Nicholas Moore examines the heavenly temple concept in the New Testament within its Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts, demonstrating that the ministry of Jesus gives believers access to the dwelling place of God himself. Moore explores conceptions of the heavenly temple in the ancient world, Second Temple Judaism, the book of Revelation, Hebrews, the Gospels, Acts, and other early Christian literature. One important contribution of the book is to provide a corrective to the way many people understand the Jerusalem temple in early Christian thought. It is the first comprehensive study of the heavenly temple in the New Testament. Professors, students, and scholars of the New Testament will benefit from this work.

"Space, to use a worn metaphor, is in the mind of the beholder. When we contemplate the seemingly limitless universe, we tend to project onto space our own hopes and dreams (as well as our fears and anxieties). But like responses to Rorschach inkblots, there are many different hopes, dreams, fears, and anxieties that one can project onto the night's sky. To those who approach it with a thirst for profits, space appears as a resource-rich goldmine, beckoning to anyone with enough wealth and privilege to take advantage of untapped markets. To those who approach it with a yearning for human expansion, space appears as a frontier that is humanity's birthright to conquer, its new manifest destiny. To those who approach it with a passion for knowledge and understanding, space appears as a tantalizing and pristine laboratory for scientific exploration. In these ways, our visions for humanity's future in space--what planets and moons we hope to visit, what we hope to accomplish when we get there--are more products of our perspectives about space (and our underlying worldviews and value systems) than anything else"--

ASTROBIOLOGY This unique book advances the frontier discussion of a wide spectrum of astrobiological issues on scientific advances, space ethics, social impact, religious meaning, and public policy formulation. Astrobiology is an exploding discipline in which not only the natural sciences, but also the social sciences and humanities converge. Astrobiology: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy is a multidisciplinary book that presents different perspectives and points of view by its contributing specialists. Epistemological, moral and political issues arising from astrobiology, convey the complexity of challenges posed by the search for life elsewhere in the universe. We ask: if a convoy of colonists from Earth make the trip to Mars, should their genomes be edited to adapt to the Red Planet’s environment? If scientists discover a biosphere with microbial life within our solar system, will it possess intrinsic value or merely utilitarian value? If astronomers discover an intelligent civilization on an exoplanet elsewhere in the Milky Way, what would be humanity’s moral responsibility: to protect Earth from an existential threat? To treat other intelligences with dignity? To exploit through interstellar commerce? To conquer? Audience The book will attract readers from a wide range of interests including astronomers, astrobiologists, chemists, biologists, space engineers, ethicists, theologians and philosophers.

This volume provides an in-depth discussion on the central question – how can people express and survive dissent and disagreement in confined habitats in space? The discussion is an important one because it could be that the systems of inter-dependence required to survive in space are so strong that dissent becomes impossible. John Locke originally said that people have a right to use revolution to overthrow a despotic regime. But if revolution causes violence and damage that causes depressurisation with the risk of killing many people, is it even permissible to have a revolution? How then are people to express their liberty or dissatisfaction with their rulers? The emergence of structures of dissent and disagreement is an essential part of the construction of a framework of liberty in space (revolution is just the extreme example) and thus the topic deserves in-depth and immediate attention. Even today, the way in which we assemble organisations and corporations for the government and private exploration of space must take into account the need for mechanisms to allow people to express dissent.

The purpose of this book is to initiate a new discussion on liberty focusing on the infinite realms of space. The discussion of the nature of liberty and what it means for a human to be free has occupied the minds of thinkers since the Enlightenment. However, without exception, every one of these discussions has focused on the character of liberty on the Earth. The emergence of human space exploration programs in the last 40-50 years raise a fundamental and new question: what will be the future of liberty in space? This book takes the discussion of liberty into the extraterrestrial environment. In this book, new questions will be addressed such as: Can a person be free when the oxygen the individual breathes is the result of a manufacturing process controlled by someone else? Will the interdependence required to survive in the extremities of the extraterrestrial environment destroy individualism? What are the obligations of the individual to the extraterrestrial state? How can we talk of extraterrestrial liberty when everyone is dependent on survival systems?