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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?
Handbook of Research on Learning in the Age of Transhumanism
Ethical Issues in Transhumanism2019 •
Transhumanism seems to be inevitable. There seems to be no way to stop the developments leading humanity to transhumanism. As Heidegger puts, technological determinism rules, rather than social determinism. In other words, the technology controls the society, not the other way around. Therefore, in a short time period, people will be forced to face the challenges of transhumanism. It is therefore the right time to prepare for those challenges before they became mainstream. Tomorrow, it will be too late. Academicians, educators, politicians, philosophers, intellectuals, psychologists … etc. all should concentrate on the issue. This chapter will try to answer such questions and many others. A philosophical approach is used. After all, ethics is a branch of philosophy. Since, this is a futuristic topic, it is hard to find first-hand data and conduct survey analysis etc. Therefore, this is a theoretical chapter.
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.
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.
The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy
Bioethics and Transhumanism2017 •
Transhumanism is a " technoprogressive " socio-political and intellectual movement that advocates for the use of technology in order to transform the human organism radically, with the ultimate goal of becoming " posthuman. " To this end, transhumanists focus on and encourage the use of new and emerging technologies , such as genetic engineering and brain-machine interfaces. In support of their vision for humanity , and as a way of reassuring those " bioconservatives " who may balk at the radical nature of that vision, transhumanists claim common ground with a number of esteemed thinkers and traditions, from the ancient philosophy of Plato and Aristotle to the postmodern philosophy of Nietzsche. It is crucially important to give proper scholarly attention to transhumanism now, not only because of its recent and ongoing rise as a cultural and political force (and the concomitant potential ramifications for bioethical discourse and public policy), but because of the imminence of major breakthroughs in the kinds of technologies that transhumanism focuses on. Thus, the articles in this issue of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy are either explicitly about transhumanism or are on topics, such as the ethics of germline engineering and criteria for personhood, that are directly relevant to the debate between transhumanists (and technopro-gressives more broadly) and bioconservatives. *N.B.: This article is an introduction to a thematic issue of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy on transhumanism.
A paper on ethical concerns for an AI future.
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.
Aurora. Revista de Filosofia
Is Transhumanism a New Face of Bioethics?2020 •
The paper deals with a possible interdependence between bioethics and transhumanism. It seems that nowadays transhumanism is a separate discipline and we can say at most about bioethical aspects of that. However, a more in-depth investigation reveals that transhumanism is a rival of the contemporary bioethics and tends to take control over it. So, this paper tried to prove that this is not a necessity. There are still vital differences between bioethics and transhumanism and they justify keeping the former separate. The main difference concerns the object of investigation: bioethics is about ethical enquiry of the existing, bodily human being, whereas transhumanism is directed toward a future creature called posthuman. Thus, although there are attempts within transhumanism to replace bioethics, they are still two separate fields of investigation and hence the former is not a new and fully-fledged face of the latter.
2022 •
Transhumanities are designed as a multidisciplinary approach that transcends the limitations not only of specific disciplines, but also of the human species; these are primarily humanities for advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI leading to AGI). The view that philosophy, ethics and related disciplines pertain to all rational beings, not solely to humans, is essential to the philosophy of Immanuel Kant. This approach turns out to be practical at the epoch of advanced AI. Many authors ponder how a kernel of ethical respect for human beings can be built into Artificial General Intelligence by the time it becomes a reality. I argue that the task requires, among other components, inculcating the core of the Humanities into advanced AI.
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.
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