Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Transhumanism

Transhumanism is a way of thinking about the future that is based on the premise that the current humanity need not be the endpoint of the evolution. According to Nick Bostrom, he defines transhumanism as:

“… an international intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of new sciences and technologies to enhance human mental and physical abilities and aptitudes, and ameliorate what it regards as undesirable and unnecessary aspects of the human condition, such as stupidity, suffering, disease, ageing and involuntary death.” (Bostrom 2005)

Video 1: Discovery Documentary HD Channel. “Bionics, Transhumanism, and the end of Evolution Full Documentary 360p” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 17 March. 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.


I believe that people have their own rights to enhance their intellectual, physical and psychological capacities through the technology. A famous biotech entrepreneur, Gregory Stock claims that our future is not to try and hold back these advanced technologies but to try and use it in a way that making our life better. If our next generations can be more intelligent, healthier or even live longer lives through altering our genetics, why would we refuse it? (Discovery Documentary HD Channel 2014)

However, Max More demonstrates that, “Transhumanism is a class of philosophies of life that seek the continuation and acceleration of the evolution of intelligent life beyond its currently human form and human limitations by means of science and technology, guided by life-promoting principles and values.” (More 1990)

Human is much less specialised than most species in the animal kingdom. Our hearing and eyesight are not amongst the best nor our speed and strength. But humans are natural-born scientists. This results us to make use of our imagination to invent things. Therefore, human beings have been reshaping our external environment, to form a world that supports our kind. Transhumanists hope that we shall manage to become posthuman by the responsible use of knowledge of science and technology that can give us the ability to do things better. (Bostrom, 2005)

Figure 1: Fruit Loops. [image] Available
<http://singularityhub.com/2011/10/02/the-art-of-transhumanism-part-ii/>

Life is unfair. Some are born intelligent, beautiful and rich while some born deaf, sick or even without limbs. People with disabilities are suffering from the activity limitations and participation restrictions in their daily life. In this new era of technology, we can improve the human condition especially the disabilities by inventing advanced technologies that not only can fix them into a normal person but a technology that can develop them into a being with greater capabilities than present human beings have. As noted by Robert A. Freitas Jr., “The enhancement options being discussed include radical extension of human health-span, eradication of disease, elimination of unnecessary suffering, and augmentation of human intellectual, physical, and emotional capacities.” (Freitas 1999) A great example of transhuman is Bertolt Meyer, who is fitted with a sophisticated I-limb bionic hand. He stated that technology will goes beyond our biological nature in the future but humans will also be facing technical challenges in getting to that stage. (Honigsbaum 2013)

Figure 2: The future of robotics: in a transhuman world, the disabled will be the ones without prosthetic limbs.  Available from <http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jun/16/future-robotics-bionic-limbs-disabled>

However, I do not agree that transhumanism is life-extension or immortalism that can make humans lives forever. I see the transhumanism project as one that simply is a way of improving the human condition and capability, which leads us to a better lifestyle and future. In my opinion, the concept of ‘transhumanism’ is like the concept of ‘humanism’, which involve in a philosophy of life and human action. It is a next stage of evolution for mankind with debating collection of ideas about society, aims, and the best way to live.



REFERENCES:

 

Images:

Saenz, A. (2014). Fruit Loops. [image] Available
<http://singularityhub.com/2011/10/02/the-art-of-transhumanism-part-ii/> (21 Oct, 2014)

Honigsbaum, Mark. (2013) The future of robotics: in a transhuman world, the disabled will be the ones without prosthetic limbs. [Online] June 16. Available from <http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jun/16/future-robotics-bionic-limbs-disabled> (Oct 21)


Video:

Discovery Documentary HD Channel. “Bionics, Transhumanism, and the end of Evolution Full Documentary 360p” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 17 March. 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.


Information:

Honigsbaum, Mark. (2013) The future of robotics: in a transhuman world, the disabled will be the ones without prosthetic limbs. [Online] June 16. Available from <http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jun/16/future-robotics-bionic-limbs-disabled> (Oct 21)


Bostrom, Nick: ‘A history of transhumanist thought’ 2005 [Online] Available <http://www.nickbostrom.com/papers/history.pdf > (21 Oct, 2014)


Bostrom, Nick: ‘Transhumanist Values’ 2005 [Online] Available <http://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/transhumanist-values.pdf > (21 Oct, 2014)


More, Max: ‘Towards a Futurist Philosophy’ 1990 [Online] Available from: <http://www.futurology.it/Documentazione/Transhumanism%20-%20Toward%20a%20Futurist%20Philosophy.pdf > (Oct 21, 2014)


Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Volume 1: Basic Capabilities (Georgetown, Tex.: Landes Bioscience, 1999).


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