Transhumanism

I posted this primarily to find out if anyone was as alarmed as I "think" I am. Ha. Surely someone has an opinion. Or is the technology too new for anyone to voice an opinion one way or the other?
Thanks,
William

Yea I saw this originally and had some thoughts on it, but in this mine aren't well thought out. The notion strikes me as "wrong" somehow; at all. This is on a strictly-reaction based level. It feels violating to the essence of the physical human animal; which is to say, its biology.

Yet, given the utility and vast potential for benefit, this is very hard to dismiss out of hand. When I think of how we might beef up immune systems, remove mental defects, enhance physical abilities its quite easy to conceptualize how this would be a good thing for Quality of Life; this, strictly on a utilitarian level.

If you put a gun to my head and say "Decide Now: Yes or No for all Humanity!" - you'd have to shoot me.

The idea of transhumanism doesn't even make sense to me.

Khethil,
Thank you for your sincere response. I have always had an immense fascination with "prodigious savants". Granted their extraordinary abilities are "extremely" rare, but they are natural. No argument as to their lacking in other areas as it relates to the "balance" of the mind, it is absolutely phenomenal what they can do. My God, where does "that" come from? Nobody knows.

The mind in it's "free state" has a way of raising red flags when it experiences "something wrong". Please bear with me for I am still working on understanding exactly what that means. My mind I reaching clarity, but it's not there yet.

I think what you have said illustrates the "mixed emotions" as we ponder what we "can do" versus what we "should do". Of course in this reality, if it is "profitable", that's all that matters, right? I am reasonably sure you will not be able to go down to your local "Wal-Mart" and get a "Super Brain Enhancement Kit". Ha.

As I consider the "pro's and con's" of this technology, I keep getting "shade's of Hitler" pervading my thoughts. He to wanted to create a super human. Here's the hell of it, his ideology was right on point, his methodology was insane. You know that fine line that separates genius from madness. It does exist. He too thought he could create the "master race", an idea he, arguably, got from Nietzsche among others that gave him justification to commit the atrocities he did. Of course in his mind he was only thinking of the "Greater Good". Hmmm? Such as will be espoused by those who are proponents of those various technologies that in all make up "transhumanism" such as nanotechnolohy, cloning, genetic manipulation and brain mapping as man crosses the "God" threshold" and thinks he can do a better job. When in truth it is all about "Greed". Nothing more. The greater good is a smoke screen. IMO.

There is a super human within us, but it will come naturally, as we will have to "become human" first. Let me offer a idea of which you can ponder: We will begin to realize what the potential of human capabilities are when we merge the three pieces of the puzzle together. One Asian, One African, One Caucasian. Those are the three pieces to the "human pie". Each one of these "ingredients" have strengths and weaknesses the other two don't. Only when they are combined, will we become "Super Human". Of course we have to be human first and get beyond those barriers, bias's and prejudices that separate us.

To visualize this one has to imagine a future beyond 70 years. I have been dying to get this "notion" out there. It makes perfect sense to me. I hope I am not too far "out there" for this to be understood. Go get your binoculars, maybe those will help. Ha.

Thank's Khethil for offering your thoughts my friend.
William

Try telling someone that who is obsessed with "living forever". They represent the greediest of the greedy and want to hold on to whatever it is they have for as long as they can no matter what the cost. To them it makes all the sense in the world and they have the money to fund the research and pay for whatever it discovers giving little consideration to the far reaching affects that will surely ensue.

Thanks,
William

I don't understand what it means to be something more than human.

The link in the OP is to Wiki and this one here is to another. These can explain it much better than I can.

William

transhumanism

1. a philosophy the use of science and technology, especially neurotechnology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, to overcome human limitations and improve the human condition
   

So this is not an overcoming of being human just overcoming some limitations. life span is a good example.

Thanks, boagie for your input. You have certainly nailed the the argument for such technology. I find it amazing the corrolation between the amount of money one has in their pocket and the quality of life it allows. Altruistically if this technology were in fact offered to all I can even see problems developing as we continue to have more people living longer. I just can't see that happening. Eventually we would have to start building gas chambers to get rid of those "unfit variants and mutants" who do not deserve to live as they waste our precious resources. After all this Earth was designed for the "Master Race" as we will devise a way, as we did with abortion, to sacrifice other's so those who rate can survive. Just a thought.

Perhaps I am being the devil's advocate, but as I see it, I can't help but see the hand writing on the wall, just as I did back in the late sixties and early seventies when we were setting the stage for legalized abortions so we could have more research material to cure Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. We sacrificed our unborn so our affluent aged could live longer, when in reality, 45,000,000 abortion's later, we find more promising research in worthless umbilical cords.

Thanks, I hope I am wrong.
william

This is clearly not a problem of technology but of ethics.

Man, as a product of evolution does not have the emotional and ethical stability to be trusted with decisions concerning transhumanist engineering.

There's a nice catch22 come to think of it.

If evolution is our problem transhumanism may be an answer, assuming it also extends to modifying intentions and/or emotions.
But decisionmakers without such modifications having been applied to them in the first place can not be trusted with such powers. It's chicken and egg really.

The only other option is that we somehow manage to overcome our deeply ingrained natural tendencies and become mature enough, both individually and as a species, to start making real progress.

"My" "God"... I know where mine "comes" from...do you?

->H H+

I am sure you don't or you wouldn't be one..now would you

-BaC

How does nature effect nature?? ohh wait the "Natural Effect "oops

Doesn't it always??

In nature of nature by nature,
-BaC

Man, of nature, has begun a process of altering the world beyond nature. So if man were to alter man then we would be beyond nature. We would remove ourself from the cycle of nature. But is it natural to "out-grow" nature?

You speak of Man like you have an intimate connection to mankind...lol

Man is of nature in nature by nature..

• highlighting artistic heritage
  
• reminding other countries that the Renaissance happened in their country (other Renaissance images selected for coins include Venus from Boticelli's "Birth of Venus," the statue of Marcus Aurelius restored by Michelangelo, and Raphael's portrait of Dante)
  
• pride in countryman Leonardo
  
• emphasizing the primacy of man - as the treasury minister says, "Currency is in the service of man."
  
• Italy's citizens are reflected in this ideal man
  

****Source Below****


Any questions?

-Di Vinci

I AM intimate with mankind. I, myself, am a man. Regular, average, common.

That is your choice my son...So be-it

-TRoN<--the infinity wisdom of humanity...

What truly concerns me is not the beneficial results of such technology as it relates to artifical limbs, spinal cord injuries or anything that applies to "healing". It's the other stuff that has me worried. The "brain mapping, cloning, and genetic manipulation" that effects our dna. To me, that is something to worry about. It is no secret when profits are concerned, ethics and morality go out the window. I would like to think I am just being paranoid, but I am afraid, if history is any judge, science is blind for it is at the beckon call of the highest bidder, and because of that there is reason for alarm. Scientist's got to eat to. You know how that goes.

William