Joshua Earle
Updated May 2021
EDUCATION
PhD Expected October 2021, Science and Technology Studies, Virginia Tech
Graduate Certificate, 2019, Women and Gender Studies, Virginia Tech
MS, 2017, Science and Technology Studies, Virginia Tech
BA, 2009, Music, College of Literature Science & the Arts, University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Areas of Specialty: Science and Technology Studies, Philosophy of Technology, Bioethics, Feminist Philosophy
Areas of Competence: Disability Studies, History of Medicine, Medical Humanities
DISSERTATION
Morphological Freedom and the Construction of Bodymind Malleability from Eugenics to Transhumanism
An interdisciplinary examination of how science and technology has made possible bodymind alteration from the eugenics in the early 20th century until today. Particular focus is given to how futures were imagined by different groups (eugenics educators, regenerative medicine scientists, and transhumanists in particular), the practices used to realize these futures, and the ethics around the practices and beliefs that are often taken for granted. I also describe several communities (disabled people, body modders, otherkin, and more) whose bodyminds are decidedly non-normative in order to reveal practices of community, kinship, and resistance to power that illuminate the lived realities of having a different morphology. I argue that these communities reveal ways to value and include morphological difference that might bring about a Morphological Freedom in which we might all thrive.
PUBLICATIONS
Peer Reviewed Journal Publications
Earle, J. (2019) “Imagining Otherwise: The Importance of Speculative Fiction to New Social Justice Imaginaries.” Catalyst: Feminism, Theory, Technoscience. Vol 5 No 1.
Book Chapters
Earle, J. 2021. “Engineering Our Selves: Morphological Freedom and the Myth of Multiplicity.” In Philosophy and Engineering: Reimagining Technology and Social Progress, edited by Zachary Pirtle, Madhavan Guru, and Dan Tomblin, 249–67. Springer.
Earle, J. [Forthcoming 2021]. “Embodiment, Diffracted: Queering and Cripping Morphological Freedom.” Transhumanism – Entering an Era of Bodyhacking and Radical Transformation. Battle-Fisher, M. & Tumilty, E., eds. Springer.
Conference Proceedings
Earle, J. 2019. “Cyborg Maintenance: Design, Breakdown, and Inclusion.” HCI International 2019. Springer.
Book Reviews
Earle, J. 2016. “An Excellent Start, but Ironically Lacks Diversity,” Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology, 20(1) 2016: 73–75. URL: https://www.pdcnet.org/techne/content/techne_2016_0020_0001_0073_0075
Earle, J. 2014. “Visioneering a Better Future: The Hieroglyph Project, STS, and the Future of Science and Technology.” Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective 3 (12) 2014: 67-83. URL: https://social-epistemology.com/2014/11/10/visioneering-a-better-future-the-hieroglyph-project-sts-and-the-future-of-science-and-technology-joshua-earle/
Scholarly Commentaries and Essays
Earle, Joshua. 2021. “On Academic Elitism, Implicit Racism, and Social Media.” Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective 10 (5): 66-75. https://wp.me/p1Bfg0-5T3.
Earle, J. 2018. “Land Grant Eugenics: Spreading an Idea in Rural America.” Nursing Clio (Aug. 02, 2018). URL: https://nursingclio.org/2018/08/02/land-grant-eugenics-spreading-an-idea-in-rural-america/
Earle, Joshua. 2018. “Deleting the Instrument Clause: Technology as Praxis.” Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective 7(10): 59-62. URL: https://social-epistemology.com/2018/10/30/deleting-the-instrument-clause-technology-as-praxis-joshua-earle/
RESEARCH IN PROGRESS
Under Consideration
Earle, J. Cyborg Maintenance: The Invisible Work of the Technological Bodymind. Under consideration at Disability Studies Quarterly.
Earle, J. The Philosophical Foundations of Transhumanism. Under consideration at Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology
In Progress
The Enlightenment and Liberal Eugenics: The Moral Time-Bomb at the Heart of Transhumanism. Target: Philosophia or similar. Drafting Stage. Expected Submission: October, 2021.
A Critique of Transhumanist Immortality: Malthus, Race, Gender, and Class. Target: Bioethics or similar. Drafting Stage. Expected Submission: End of 2021.
Scaling Up Intra-Action: Can We Find Ethic in the Gas Law of Agential Realism?
There Is No Such Thing as Mediation: Problems within Postphenomenology.
The Problem of the Sexy Cyborg: Race, Gender, Disability, and Transhumanist Imaginaries. (planning and research stage)
Land Grant Eugenics: Education and Scientific Knowledge in Rural Land Grant Universities. (planning and research stage)
EDITING, PEER REVIEW, AND PUBLISHING
Copyeditor, Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology. 2018-Present
Conference Program Committee: Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology Conference, 2019
Conference Program Committee: Comics and Popular Arts Conference, 2020
AWARDS AND HONORS
Inducted into Iota Delta Rho, the Interdisciplinary Research Honors Society, May 2, 2018
Best Panel Presentation. Disappearing Bodies: Shared goals and shifting speech between Eugenics and Transhumanism, STGlobal, April 8-9 2016.
GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS
NSF Career Grant #1750260: Disability, Experience, and Technological Imagination. Graduate Associate. 2019.
Regenerative Medicine Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program (IGEP), Virginia Tech 2017-2018
Regenerative Medicine Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program (IGEP), Virginia Tech 2015-2016
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
“There is No Such Thing as Mediation: Agential Realism vs. Postphenomenology.” Society for Philosophy and Technology Conference. June 28, 2021.
“Cyborg Maintenance: The Invisible Work of the Technological Bodymind.” Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S) Conference. Sept 5, 2019.
“Cyborg Maintenance: Design, Breakdown, and Inclusion.” Human-Computer Interaction International Conference. July 31, 2019.
“Cyborg Maintenance: Bio Bugs, Computer Bugs, and Breakdown.” Computer Ethics and Philosophical Enquiry Conference. May 30, 2019.
“Cyborg Maintenance: The Invisible Work of the Technological Bodymind.” Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology Conference. May 24, 2019.
“Cyborg Maintenance: A Phenomenology of Upkeep.” Society for Philosophy and Technology Conference. May 21, 2019.
“The Problem of the Sexy Cyborg: Transhumanism, Gender, and Morphological Freedom.” Gender, Bodies, and Technology Conference. April 26, 2019.
“Disability and Morphological Freedom: The Myth of Multiplicity” Society for Disability Studies Strand at the OSU Multiple Perspective on Access, Inclusion, and Disability Conference. April 7, 2019.
“The Problem of the Sexy Cyborg: Race, Gender, and Otherness in Transhumanism.” ASPECT Conference. March 22, 2019.
“Agential Realism: Toward a Diffractive Ethic.” Southeastern Ethics and Philosophy of Technology Workshop. September 29, 2018.
“Disability Rights and Morphological Freedom: Toward a Diffractive Ethic of Inclusion.” Association for Feminist Epistemologies, Methodologies, Metaphysics, and Science Studies Meeting. August 1-5, 2018.
“Morphological Freedom: Potential and Normativity in Transhumanism.” Forum on Philosophy, Engineering, and Technology. May 30- June 1, 2018.
“Morphological Freedom: Identity, Individuation, and the Genre Solution,” Southeastern Ethics and Philosophy of Technology Workshop, September 23, 2017.
“Identity and Normative Danger in Transhumanist Rhetoric,” Society for the Philosophy of Technology Biennial Conference, June 14-17 2017.
“Rhetorical Purification: Eugenics, Transhumanism, and the disappearance of the marginalized,” Gender, Bodies and Technology, April 21-23 2016
“Disappearing Bodies: Shared goals and shifting speech between Eugenics and Transhumanism,” STGlobal, April 8-9 2016.
ADDITIONAL CONFERENCE ROLES
Chair, “Pedagogical Pragmatics: Teaching Ethics and Philosophy of Technology (2),” Society for the Philosophy of Technology, June 14-17 2017.
Moderator, “Gendered Technologies of the Self: Making the Therapeutic Visible,” Gender, Bodies, and Technology, April 21-23, 2016
Participant, Southeastern Ethics and Philosophy of Technology Workshop, Sept 19, 2015
Participant, Knowledge from the Margins Conference, Aug 18-19, 2015
Participant, Second Annual Regenerative Medicine IGEP Retreat, May 18, 2015
CAMPUS AND DEPARTMENTAL TALKS
“Morphological Freedom and the Myth of Multiplicity.” STS Department Dissertation Seminar. Virginia Tech. May 01, 2020.
“Eugenics.” STS 5444: Bioethics. Virginia Tech, Nov 01, 2018.
“Transhumanism!” STS 4304: Monsters, Zombies, & Cyborgs. Virginia Tech, Oct 30, 2018.
“Eugenics.” STS 5424/3284: Technology and Disability. Virginia Tech, Feb 20, 2018.
“Sheep, Trust, and Expertise.” STS 1504: Introduction to STS, Virginia Tech, April 17, 2017
“Eugenics.” STS 1504: Introduction to STS, Virginia Tech, April 19, 2017.
“Transhumanism!” STS 1504: Introduction to STS, Virginia Tech, April 21, 2017.
“Eugenics.” STS 2984: Humanities, Science and the Environment, Oct 11, 2016.
“Eugenics.” STS 1504: Introduction to STS, Virginia Tech, November 28, 2016.
“Transhumanism!” Monsters, Zombies, and Cyborgs undergraduate seminar, Virginia Tech, April 20, 2016
“Disappearing Bodies: Shared goals and shifting speech between Eugenics and Transhumanism,” STS Seminar Series, April 1 2016.
“The Deficit Model of Education or: why science communication is trickier than it looks,” Regenerative Medicine IGEP Journal Club, Virginia Tech, April 13, 2015
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
STS 3284, Technology and Disability, Summer II 2021, Instructor of Record, Undergraduate Level. Online asynchronous.
STS/HIST 2154, Engineering Cultures, Fall Semester 2020, Instructor of Record, Undergraduate Level. Online asynchronous.
STS 3284, Technology and Disability, Summer I 2020, Instructor of Record, Undergraduate Level. Online asynchronous.
STS/HIST 2154, Engineering Cultures, Spring Semester 2020, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Undergraduate Level.
STS 1504, Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society, Winter Term 2019-2020, Instructor of Record. Undergraduate Level. Online asynchronous.
STS 3105, Science, Technology, and Modern Society: Pop Culture, Fall Semester 2019, Instructor of Record, Undergraduate Level.
STS 1504, Introduction to STS, Spring Semester 2019, Instructor of Record, Undergraduate Level.
STS 1504, Introduction to STS, Winter Term 2018-19, Instructor of Record, Undergraduate Level, Online asynchronous.
STS 1504, Introduction to STS, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Fall Semester 2018, Undergraduate Level
STS 5947: Technology and Disability: Unit on the History of Eugenics, Graduate Level, 2015
WGS 4704: Gender & Science, TA/class participant, final project director, Undergraduate Level, 2015
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2017-2018 Research Assistantship, Regenerative Medicine Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program (IGEP), Virginia Tech.
2015-2016 Research Assistantship, Regenerative Medicine IGEP, Virginia Tech
2015 Research Assistantship, Department of English, Virginia Tech
SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP
STS Department Seminar Series, Video Recording, remote access, archiving, and refreshments. 2017-2019.
President, Interdisciplinary Research Honors Society, 2019-2020.
Vice President of Membership, Interdisciplinary Research Honors Society, 2018-2019.
STS Department Graduate Student Organization (GSO) Secretary, 2018-2019.
STS Department Graduate Student Organization (GSO) President, 2017-2018.
STS Department Policy Committee, Graduate Student Representative, Voting, 2017-2018.
STS Department Policy Committee, Graduate Student representative, Non-Voting, 2016-2017.
TEACHING AREAS/COURSES PREPARED TO TEACH
History of Technology
History of Technology & Disability
History of Medicine
History of Science
Bioethics
Science, Technology, and Public Policy
Cyborgs in Society
Disability Studies
Introduction to STS
Gender and Science/Technology
Race and Science/Technology
Philosophy of Technology
Philosophy/STS and Popular Culture
LANGUAGES
English: Fluent
German: Can Read with Dictionary
REFERENCES
Dr. Ashley Shew, Assistant Professor
Department of Science, Technology, and Society
116 Lane Hall, Virginia Tech
280 Alumni Mall, Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-257-4837
shew@vt.edu
Dr. Saul Halfon, Associate Professor
Department of Science, Technology, and Society
232 Lane Hall, Virginia Tech
280 Alumni Mall, Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-231-1648
shalfon@vt.edu
Dr. James H Collier III, Associate Professor
Department of Science, Technology, and Society
Lane Hall, Virginia Tech
280 Alumni Mall, Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-558-8684
jim.collier@vt.edu
Dr. Rebecca Hester, Assistant Professor
Department of Science, Technology, and Society
235 Lane Hall, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-231-8359
rjhester@vt.edu
Dr. Christine Labuski, Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology
518 McBryde Hall, Virginia Tech
225 Stanger Street
Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-231-2765
chrislab@vt.edu
Cyborg Apologist 