Let's face it, plenty of unenhanced humans have been quite capable of believing that millions of their fellow unenhanced humans were inferiors who needed to be eradicated. However, as liberal political institutions have spread and strengthened, they have increasingly restrained technologically superior groups from automatically wiping out less advanced peoples (which was usual throughout most of history). I suspect that this dynamic will continue in the future as biotechnology, nanotechnology, and computational technologies progressively increase people's capabilities and widen their choices.
In his famous book The End of History and the Last Man, Fukuyama declared that we are witnessing "the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government." Fair enough. But for Fukuyama, the end of history is a "sad time" because "daring, courage, imagination, and idealism will be replaced by economic calculation." Also, he claims, "in the post-historical period there will be neither art nor philosophy, just the perpetual caretaking of the museum of human history." How ironic that Fukuyama now spends his time demonizing transhumanism, a nascent philosophical and political movement that epitomizes the most daring, courageous, imaginative, and idealistic aspirations of humanity.
"The environmental movement has taught us humility and respect for the integrity of nonhuman nature. We need a similar humility concerning our human nature. If we do not develop it soon, we may unwittingly invite the transhumanists to deface humanity with their genetic bulldozers and psychotropic shopping malls," concludes Fukuyama. I say, bring on those genetic bulldozers and psychotropic shopping malls that help people to live healthier, smarter, and happier lives.
I have my own nomination for an "idea [that], if embraced, would pose the greatest threat to the welfare of humanity": Banning technological progress in the name of "humility."
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Dan Bacon|10.14.09 @ 11:37AM|#
Great article!
Most people are currently scared of Transhumanism, because they simply haven't had a chance to really think about it and don't know what's possible.
Over the next 5 years, Hollywood will be bringing out loads of movies that will open the minds of people and get them excited about the real possibility of being more than human, living an indefinite lifespan and merging with artificial intelligence (the movie 'Surrogates' was a recent example).
I recently recorded a conversation with a friend on video. We talked about Transhumanism, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Nanotechnology, Life-Extension, Immortality and the upcoming Technological Singularity. You can watch it here if you're interested: http://danbacon.org/?p=3
Cheers
Dan
Pingback| 11.20.09 @ 9:18AM
Rational Morality » The future of human evolution revisited links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Stan|12.4.09 @ 12:27AM|#
I agree that transhumanism CAN be a good idea. But it's so sad to know that it takes Hollywood to get the public excited about something as life changing as this.
transhumanism|12.24.09 @ 7:13PM|#
I am not sure if the problem is fear, to be honest.
|1.8.10 @ 4:17AM|#
I think the say that transhumanists want to rid themselves of emotion might not be applicable to th emajority of "members". Once emotion is gone from a human being's mind, I don't think they are human anymore, just animal. And if the goal is to just become Nietzschean ubermensch, then you've basically reduced humanity into a machine or a virus - unthinking replicators.
Ubermensch mentality reduces humans to animals, how is a dog better than any other dog without compassion for it's own kind's ill or young?
Limiting enhancements to physical upgrades should be a restraint set upon transhumanism, else I really do think there will be terrible conflict between those who can afford/choose to upgrade, and those who cannot/do not.
Pingback| 3.2.10 @ 10:13AM
Why You Should Go Ahead and Practice Kneeling Before Your Posthuman Masters Now – The links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
ams|4.25.10 @ 10:58PM|#
Pfft. As if Hollywood could wrap it's head around any idea that isn't already an instinctive archetype. The "progressive" "liberals" of hollywood already consider science and technology to be dark sorcery that corrupts mankind. They are unrepentant Romantics, all of them.
jon|6.28.10 @ 12:06PM|#
So, no one present has actually read Nietzsche. Just checking. Ridding oneself of emotions is antithetical to his actual project of asserting one's own non-derivative value statements.
|11.8.10 @ 6:03AM|#
I agree Nietsche saw the Ubermench as spiritual not cruel... the nazi propaganda diservice Nietsche ideas.
|7.4.10 @ 12:10AM|#
It's disgusting. What's worse is that the same types of people who have been behind the enslavement, pollution, exploitation, colonialism and neo colonialism of the rest of the world now believe themselves to be "enlightened" enough to provide solutions. It's enough to turn anyone into a Luddite.
What makes me sad is that a lot of people with these kind of technology/people interface ideas in mind really don't know very much about people who are unlike themselves. Yet they are arrogant enough to want to judge those people or determine their outcomes.
Hopefully their own arrogance will lead to their downfall before they do any more damage to the rest of us.
Peter|8.19.11 @ 4:48PM|#
huh?
|11.8.10 @ 5:55AM|#
"But what if enhanced posthumans took the Nietzschean superman option? What if they really did see unenhanced people "as inferior, even savages, and fit for slavery or slaughter"?
There is a huge contradiction here!
The best way to explain it is when we look at the primitive people in New Guinea and the Amazone we do not think about them that way anymore I hope...
So the posthuman have to be emotionally retarded to lack common compassion.
The fear that the above statement is proposing has not been thought through but would create media sensationalism tabloid material and should be constantly refuted.
|4.7.11 @ 12:45AM|#
Transhumanism in a free market sounds fine to me. But moving towards transhumamism AND Fascism is TERRIFYING!
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|10.16.11 @ 12:37AM|#
Man wants to play God and be God.
The Laughing Man|2.6.12 @ 8:29AM|#
Very well written article. I think this has convinced me on what to write about for my graduation paper.