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2015, Notes and Queries
A brief history of the term 'transhumanism'.
Published in October 2016, this book examines the dependence of transhumanist arguments on the credibility of the narratives of meaning in which they are embedded. By taking the key ideas from transhumanist philosophy – the desirability of human self-design and immortality, the elimination of all suffering and the expansion of human autonomy – I explore these narratives and the understanding of human nature that informs them. Particular attention is paid to the theory of transhumanism as a form of utopia, stories of human nature, the increasing integration of the radical human enhancement project into the cultural mainstream, and the drive to upgrade from flesh to machine. Available here is the first, introductory chapter. If you want to read the rest, you'll have to persuade your library to buy the book (or even better, buy it yourself).
This book brings together sixteen of the world’s foremost thinkers on the prospects of a radical reshaping of human nature through biotechnologies and artificial intelligence. The often heated debate about transhumanism is an extremely fruitful field for philosophical and theological inquiry. The last hundred years of human evolution have seen remarkable scientific and technological transformations. If the pace of change continues and indeed accelerates in the twenty-first century, then in short order we will be a much-transformed species on a much-transformed planet. The idea of some fixed human nature, a human essence from which we derive notions of humane dignities and essential human rights, no longer applies in this brave new world of free market evolution. On what basis then do we make moral judgments and pursue pragmatic ends. Should we try to limit the development of certain sciences and technologies? How would we do so? Is it even possible? Are either traditional religious or Enlightenment values adequate at a speciation horizon between humans and posthumans? Is the ideology of transhumanism dangerous independent of the technology? Is the ideology of the bioconservatives, those who oppose transhumanism, also dangerous and how? Are the new sciences and technologies celebrated by transhumanists realistic or just another form of wishful thinking?
The word 'transhumanism' was first used in 1957 by Julian Huxley who saw it as 'man remaining man, but transcending himself, by realising new possibilities of and for his human nature.' Huxley was an advocate of eugenics, seeing it as means to planning and controlling human evolution. H. G. Wells, a friend of Huxley and author of Men Like Gods imagined 'benevolent scientist-technicians who will use science and technology to manufacture a perfect future.' Thus the scene is set for the general approach to the Good, not in some Platonic, religious or properly humanist understanding, but as a practical extension of capabilities and without adequate consideration of the will and its purposes behind the capabilities.
Transhumanism can be viewed as an extension of humanism, from which it is partially derived. Humanists believe that humans matter, that individuals matter. We might not be perfect, but we can make things better by promoting rational thinking, freedom, tolerance, democracy, and concern for our fellow human beings. Transhumanists agree with this but also emphasize what we have the potential to become. Just as we use rational means to improve the human condition and the external world, we can also use such means to improve ourselves, the human organism. In doing so, we are not limited to traditional humanistic methods, such as education and cultural development. We can also use technological means that will eventually enable us to move beyond what some would think of as “human”. Transhumanism takes a multidisciplinary approach in analyzing the dynamic interplay between humanity and the acceleration of technology.
Scientific and technological advances have questioned predominant doctrines concerning the human condition. Transhumanism and posthumanism are among the most recent and prominent manifestations of this phenomenon. Debates on trans- and posthumanism have not only gained a considerable amount of academic and popular attention recently, but have also created a widespread conceptual confusion. This is no surprise, considering their recent dates of origin, their conceptual similarities, and their engagements with similar questions, topics, and motifs. Furthermore, trans- as well as posthumanism frequently question their relationship to humanism and reconsider what it means to be human. In this regard both movements are streaming beyond humanism. What this means, however, is far from clear and shall be subject of discussion in this volume.
DELIBERATIO. STUDIES IN CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHICAL CHALLENGES
An Incursion into 'Weak Transhumanism'2021 •
The acceleration of scientific and technological developments in recent decades has brought both hope and concern for mankind regarding its wellbeing and future existence. In this context, the cultural-philosophical movements of transhumanism, posthumanism and metahumanism have had an important imprint on what currently represents the finding of alternative methods to improve human and non-human living conditions. Thus, the general objective of this paper is to analyze the three aforementioned movements, using Stefan Lorenz Sorgner's book On Transhumanism (2016/2020) as a starting point. In the first part of my study, I will emphasize some of the philosophical theories and approaches that brings transhumanism and posthumanism together in their common path towards the 'posthuman', as well as those that separate them. The second part of the paper seeks to highlight the possibility that metahumanism-and especially what Sorgner calls "weak transhumanism"-is a more appropriate approach when considering the various advanced technologies designed to improve human health and lifespan. This perspective also serves to illustrate that any advanced technologies such as bio-and nano-technology, genetic engineering etc. should first of all preserve negative freedom-in terms of achieving a good life, by adopting a pluralistic, naturalistic, non-dualistic and relational understanding of our worldly existence-merged with dynamic adaptation and critical thinking regarding the challenges revealed by these future technologies.
Journal of Evolution and Technology (JET)
Book review of Post- and Transhumanism: An Introduction2015 •
As post- and transhumanism have become ever-hotter topics over the past decade or so, their boundaries have become muddled by misappropriations and misunderstandings of what defines them, and especially what distinguishes them from each other. This edition of essays by various experts, edited by Robert Ranisch and Stefan Sorgner, goes a long way to resolve these issues. The introductory essay by the two editors – both of whom are philosophers – is alone worth the book’s purchase price. They give a very straightforward and understandable synopsis of what defines posthumanism, transhumanism, and the posthuman; and they also give thumbnail sketches of the major differences between them. Basically, transhumanists believe in improving the human species by using any and every form of emerging technology. Technology is meant in the broad sense here: it includes everything from pharmaceuticals to digital technology, genetic modification to nanotechnology. The posthuman is the state that transhumans aspire to: a state in which our species is both morally and physically improved, and maybe immortal – a species improved to the point where we perhaps become a different (and thus “posthuman”) species altogether.
The foundation of predictions in the human area is the past. Transhumanism is not an exception to this rule. But, on the one hand, the past does not provide sufficient arguments for transhumanist proposals (a) and on the other these predictions are dominated by epistemic arrogance (b). a) Transhumanism is dependent on how we define the humane. A continuous redefinition of humanity depending on the place o the order of evolution cancels the specific differences underlying the transhumanist movement, being always situated in the area of "all-humane". Transhumanism is based on a desire of a generation to see themselves in a central point of history, in a revolutionary time. This desire, however, has a historical character acquiring different faces over time (end of history, the new human, super human, the reborn human, end of the world, etc.) without becoming real. The transhumanist Wager proposed by Zoltan Istvan can be considered lost: Istvan's Three Laws of Transhumanism contradict the prevailing attitude of the existence of the society, given that we consider human consciousness as the focus of the humane and the existence of consciousness is dependent on the society. The society is a result of evolution, relying on a certain balance between individual and social interests. The Teleological Egocentric Functionalism is inconsistent with the natural evolution of society. The evolution of technology does not provide a sufficient argument to talk about a possible brain emulation on other media. We can see the orientation of innovations towards the facilitation of human's work, without having evidence of the desire for its replacement. The anticipated technological singularity does not aim at the construction of a consciousness, but at the emergence of a self-generating loop in the producing of information technologies. At issue is the creation of artifacts that correspond only to a certain dimension of the humane, rationality. The hypothesis of building an "artificial man" is not consistent with the interests of humanity. b) Because of epistemic arrogance, transhumanism overestimates what we know and underestimates uncertainty. All models of transhumanists expect an increase in complexity accompanied by an increase in predictability; but the artificial increase of complexity is accompanied by a decrease of predictability. The evolution of humanity is nonlinear. The predictions of the future are based on our technological certainties given that innovations have to face every time the Ontological Uncertainty. The Law of Unintended Consequences is just one example of nonlinearity affecting the transhumanism scenarios.
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