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Saturday, September 10, 2011

What Does it Mean to Be a Transhumanist?

To me, transhumanism is a temporary movement — transitional. Its role is to help individuals and society transition to living in a world where some portion of society technologically transforms their minds and bodies on both incremental and fundamental levels. This might vary from getting a Google-connected neural implant to uploading one’s consciousness into a virtual world. We transhumanists consider (cautious!) developments along these lines to be a good thing, and feel that the most pressing objections and concerns have been adequately addressed, including:

- What are the reasons to expect all these changes?
- Won’t these developments take thousands or millions of years?
- What if it doesn’t work?
- Won’t it be boring to live forever in a perfect world?
- Will new technologies only benefit the rich and powerful?
- Aren’t these future technologies very risky? Could they even cause our extinction?
- If these technologies are so dangerous, should they be banned?
- Shouldn’t we concentrate on current problems…
- Will extended life worsen overpopulation problems?
- Will posthumans or superintelligent machines pose a threat to humans who aren’t augmented?
- Isn’t this tampering with nature?
- Isn’t death part of the natural order of things?

The key is to see “Transhumanism” as a philosophy being just a temporary crutch, a tool for humanity to safely make the leap to transhumanity. Transhumanism is really only simplified humanism. Eventually, transhumanists hope to see a world where a wide variety of physical and cognitive modifications are available to everyone at reasonable cost, and their use is responsibly regulated, with freedom broadly prevailing over authoritarianism and control. When and if we arrive at that world in one piece, everyone will become de facto transhumanists, just as today, most people are de facto“industrialists” (benefit from and contribute to modern industrial society) and de facto “computerists”.

Read More: http://hplusmagazine.com/2011/09/09/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-transhumanist/

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