What is Transhumanism?

Collaboration of man and machine

Cyborgs, eternal life, and superpowers aren’t just futuristic concepts or science fiction. With the evolution of transhumanism, this could all be possible in our lifetimes. Transhumanism is a movement that advocates for improving the human condition through emerging technologies that enhance the mind and body. Current technologies coming from research for practical applications in medicine and business are leading to transhumanism. Now, technologies like DIY gene editing robotic implants brain-computer interfacing have become more accessible than ever.

British evolutionary biologist Julian Huxley is regarded as the founder of transhumanism. He coined the term in 1957 to describe a drastic change in the quality of human life according to Hplus Magazine. Transhumanist thinkers study the potential benefits and dangers of emerging technologies that could overcome fundamental human limitations as well as the ethical limitations of using such technologies. The most common transhumanist thesis is that human beings may eventually be able to transform themselves into different beings with abilities so greatly expanded from the current condition as to merit the label of posthuman beings.

It is a matter of debate whether transhumanism is a branch of posthumanism and how this philosophical movement should be conceptualized with regard to transhumanism. The latter is often referred to as a variant or activist form of posthumanism by its conservative, Christian and progressive critics. Unlike many philosophers, social critics and activists who place a moral value on preservation of natural systems, transhumanists see the very concept of the specifically natural as problematically nebulous at best and an obstacle to progress at worst. With the advent of AI, transhumanism began to include the collaboration of man and machine in its goal of transcending human mortality. There are ethical concerns of enhancing only the minds and bodies of individuals who can afford it. But transhumanism proponents say it’s the only way to stay relevant as AI continues to evolve.

Brut.