Transhumanism

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Transhumanism might well be considered a `dubious' cousin to `posthumanism'. As a slightly more moderate notion than that of posthuman-ness, it has, as Keith Ansell Pearson stated in Viroid Life: Perspectives on Nietzsche and the Transhuman Conditionn, `assumed a viral life, becoming a cultural meme'. <sup>[1]</sup> It is closely aligned with the Extropian movement, which sees its mission as combating the entropic (chaotic/disorderly) tendencies of the universe, especially where these affect human well-being and potential. Perhaps the most accessible representative statements in the field can be found in `The Transhumanist FAQ', available from the Transhumanist Web Alliance (see: www.transhumanism.org/resources/faq.html). In its comprehensive FAQ document, transhumanism is defined as an extension of humanism that does not limit itself to traditional humanist methods (for example education), in order to improve the condition of the human `species'. Transhumans are, put simply, transitional humans who are on a ‘path to transcendence’, people who see themselves as fulfilling a bridging role in the evolutionary process. Signs of transhumanity may include body augmentation with implants, androgyny, asexual reproduction, and distributed identity. These people are actively preparing for becoming posthuman. As the Transhumanist FAQ document outlines, a posthuman could be seen as human descendent who has been technologically augmented to such a degree that it is no longer a human. Posthuman mental and physical abilities, including intelligence, memory, strength, health and longevity, would all vastly exceed those of current humans. As posthumans could be totally synthetic, artificial intelligence systems are seen by some as potentially the first posthuman beings. The prospect of living without a body as information patterns on large super-fast computer networks is among the goals of both transhumans and posthumans.

[edit] Controversial Ideas?

Such views have seen very controversial expression by the German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk ^[2] Sloterdijk sees classical humanism as an attempt to ‘improve’ people through the transforming power of humanist learning. Seeing the classical humanist project now broken, Sloterdijk asked: "What can tame humanity when humanism fails to fulfill this role?" ^[3] He argued that the ‘improvement’ of the human species should no longer be restricted to the “soft” technologies of education and social engineering. Rather, the potential of ‘hard sciences’ like genetic engineering and other forms of biology have inherited the task of pursuing human perfection, "Seen in this light, humanist education and genetic engineering … are closely related: Both are deliberate efforts to improve the nature of the human species" ^[4]. Sloterdijk argues that we are witnessing the ‘coming era of species-political decisions’, advocating a new field of ‘anthropotechnics’, stating, "if biotechnology means accepting the division of human beings into the genetic engineers and the genetically engineered, the zookeepers and the animals in the 'human zoo', well so be it".^[5] Not surprisingly, Sloterdijk’s posthuman vision of the future is not only controversial, but may be seen as possibly resurgent fascism (especially considering German history). Does Sloterdijk’s point of view suggest that there is an inherent compulsion to a certain sort of ideological thinking about technology and its possibilities that projects a totalitarian attitude that promotes fantasies of human perfection, super-races and Ubermenschen can come to reign supreme? As Ansell Pearson remarks of this desire to embrace new technologies while holding tightly to the orderliness and predictability of the familiar world: ‘The human fantasy is to devise a technological system so omniscient that it nullifies the power of the future, transforming the universe into a perfectly administered megamachine of predictable outputs and calculable energies’ ^[6]

[edit] See Also

Transhumanist FAQ - The World Transhumanist Association

Transhumanism at Wikipedia.org

Extropy Institute

Extropianism at Wikipedia.org

[edit] References

1. ↑ Keith Ansell Pearson, ‘’Viroid Life: Perspectives on Nietzsche and the Transhuman Condition’’ ( London: Routledge, 1997), 1-2.
2. ↑ A. Piper “Project Ubermensch: German intellectuals confront genetic engineering”, Lingua Franca 9 (9), 2000, p. 73–77
3. ↑ M. Peacock “Philosophical rumblings in the German Republic” Philosophy Now 26 April/May, 2000, p.7-8.
4. ↑ A. Piper “Project Ubermensch: German intellectuals confront genetic engineering”, Lingua Franca 9 (9), 2000, p. 74
5. ↑ A. Piper “Project Ubermensch: German intellectuals confront genetic engineering”, Lingua Franca 9 (9), 2000, p. 74
6. ↑ Keith Ansell Pearson, Viroid Life: Perspectives on Nietzsche and the Transhuman Condition ( London: Routledge, 1997), 152.