Transhumanisms: A Review of Transhumanist Schools of Thought

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.

Theology and Science, 2018

In this article I will focus on the topic that has engaged me for the past 15 years-transhumanism. When I tell people that I write about transhumanism, I usually encounter a perplexed look, since most people are unfamiliar with the term. However, here at CTNS the term is well known, and I was very pleased to attend a class that studies transhumanism and that is very familiar with the current literature on the subject. To be sure we all know what we are talking about, let me begin by presenting transhumanism and telling you why transhumanism matters. Transhumanism is not easy to define. According to the leading transhumanist theorist, Nick Bostrom, "transhumanism is a loosely defined movement … [that] represents an interdisciplinary approach to understanding and evaluating the ethical, social and strategic issues raised by present and anticipated future technologies." 1 In the same essay, Bostrom also refers to transhumanism as a "worldview that has a value component," and that broader definition is more appropriate. Transhumanism is a vision about the role of technology in the evolution of the human species. There are many facets to transhumanism, but they all cohere into the claim that the human species is on the verge of a new phase in its evolution as the result of converging technologies such as genomics, robotics, informatics, and nanotechnology. According to transhumanism, these technologies will bring about the physiological and cognitive enhancement of human beings that will pave the way for the replacement of biological humans by autonomous, superintelligent, decision-making machines, which will constitute the posthuman age. Whereas biological humans emerged out of the slow, uncontrolled, and unpredictable process of evolution, the process that will bring about the posthuman will be fast, controlled, and directed, brought about by human engineering. Described as "enhancement revolution" (Buchanan), "radical evolution" (Garreau), "designer evolution" (Young), and "conscious evolution" (Chu), 2 this futurist scenario turns the human into a design project. By means of new technologies, the human species will be redesigned so as to transcend its biological limits and pave the way for the emergence of a new posthuman species. Numerically speaking, the transhumanist movement is still very small.

The Humanist and the transhumanist propose different methods for cultivating human capacities. The transhumanist claims that traditional techniques favoured by the humanist run up against the limits of our biology. She believes that prospective technologies could further the humanist cause by improving our nature. However, the transhumanist faces a difficulty. Her policies could produce posthumans. Evaluating posthuman lives might be impossible for us. But discounting them is not an option because she will share responsibility for their creation. I argue that one way through this impasse is for the transhumanist to produce posthumans or to become posthuman.

Ethics in Progress, 2015

In his famous paper, Julian Huxley gives the outline of what he believes future humanity could – and should – look like. By pointing out the numerous limitations and feebleness the human nature is – at the time – prone to, and by confronting them with the possibilities humankind has, Huxley expresses the need to research and put into use all possible measures that would enable man achieve utmost perfection.

DELIBERATIO. STUDIES IN CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHICAL CHALLENGES, 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.

The International Library of Ethics, Law and Technology

CRITIQUE OF TRANSHUMANISM'S CONCEPT OF HUMANS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT, 2023

Transhumanism is defined as a human movement that believes in and attempts to implement ideas and practices aimed at developing and empowering the biological, psychological, and cognitive abilities of humans and helping them become superior to their current biological state through modern science and technological tools. Considering its promises and goals for humans and humanity, this science-and technology-based understanding is also recognized as a sociocultural and ideological movement. Given the effectiveness of areas such as virtual reality, genetic intervention, and artificial intelligence, it is clear that the promises of transhumanism are not so utopian. It is essential to subject the ontological approaches of transhumanism, which consider humans and the universe, to a theological interpretation based on current facts and arguments rather than philosophical and theoretical interpretations. Transhumanism clearly emphasizes that humans are

2019

Initial considerations……...…………………….……………………………..……….4 CHAPTER 1-THE IMPERATIVE OF BIOCOSMIC EXPANSION-AN ETHICAL PROPOSAL……………………………………………………………………………….8 Transhumanists against the Jonasian summum malum…………………..…….8 Trasumanar-From Dante to Huxley……………………………………………….16 Prometheus unbound ………………………………………………………...………25 Objections against transhumanism…………..……………………………………30 First objection: the "Ship of Theseus Paradox".………………………...………30 Second objection: the rise of super-humans……………………………………..34 Third objection: genetic engineering……………….………………………….…..36 The Starchild beyond anthropocentrism………….………………………………42 CHAPTER 2-METAPHYSICS: THE EMMERGENCE OF A COSMIC AWARENESS…………………………………………………………………………...57 Transhumanism and metaphysics: initial considerations…........…….………57 On systems and truths……………………………………….……………………….59 Life, sentience, and intelligence: is there a cosmic telos?…………………….63 Cosmic physical constants…………………………………………………………..66 On the existence of multiple universes……………………………………………72 On wagers……………………………………………………………………………….87 Conclusions…………………………………..…………………………..…………….95 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………….

Future Human Image, 2020

The article discusses the mechanisms of improving the human organism presented in past centuries’ culture and analogous phenomena present in contemporary cultural texts. On this basis, theoretical and speculative aspects of posthumanism and transhumanism are described, their literary realizations, and finally, their cultural consequences are presented. Ideas, movements and ideologies, or even philosophies of posthumanism and transhumanism, although affecting the common problematic area, still cause confusion because of their mutual confusion with each other. The article tries to find arguments for the position that posthumanism and transhumanism stand in one house, but the latter is less suitable for understanding the radically changing world that we experience in such a painful way.