Transhumanism Essay example - 918 Words

Morphological Freedom: A Refutation to the Benefits of Transhumanism and Physical Disabilities Transhumanism is a word that describes anything which favors the development of innovative technologies for the improvement of human health, both physical and mental. Throughout the past decade, this movement of transhumanism has started to take course throughout the world. Biotechnologies are one subset of the transhumanist movement that have consistently shown great promise to benefit society as a whole. Ideas surrounding the beneficial factors of transhumanism in relation to physical and mental disabilities have become widespread throughout our society. In opposition to the idea that society should cure itself of its flaws, people both with†¦show more content†¦He states that if the benefits of a technology are seen by society as a positive change, morphological freedom protects the ideas of those in society who do not. â€Å"Morphological freedom implies that nobody may force us to change in a way we do not desire or prevent our change† (Sandberg, 2001). Sandberg’s first main point of morphological freedom is how it applies to society and freedom. â€Å"Although peer pressure, prejudices and societal biases still remain strong forces, they are being actively battled by equally strong ideas of the right to be oneself, the desirability of diversity and an interest in the unusual, unique and exotic† (Sandberg, 2001). The feelings of being oneself in the face of social evolution are one of the fundamental reasons for the need of morphological freedom. People who are living with disabilities do not see themselves as disabled, â€Å"There clearly exist many people who deeply wish to be cured from disabilities, but there are also many people who over time have become used to them and instead integrated them into their self-image† (Sandberg, 2001). People who have â€Å"integrated† their disabilities into their everyday life do not feel inferior, but rather empowered to establish themselves as active contributor s to society. Sandberg continues his discussion of morphological freedom in terms of need and want. The â€Å"need†Show MoreRelatedThe Argument Against Transhumanism : Religion1469 Words   |  6 PagesThe Arguments Against Transhumanism The biggest opponent to transhumanism is religion due to their fundamental views on life. Religion has played a large part in our culture, especially the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam that believe in a single, all powerful God. Because of the popularity and deep rooted history of these religions, their central beliefs on what it means to be human have become ingrained in our subconscious. Abrahamic religions view death as a natural partRead MoreEssay on Transhumanism: The Drive for Perfection2249 Words   |  9 Pagesreasonable, with humanitys diseases like cancer and AIDS and disorders like mental retardation and social anxiety disorder. With genetic enhancements, diseases will become the material of history textbooks and But according to Francis Fukuyama, transhumanism might not be such a great idea. He criticizes the transhumanist movement as the destroyer of equality, asserting that the rich who can afford gene enhancement will become the genetic elite while the less rich will become left behind in the geneticRead MoreTranshumanism and Elective Amputation Essay2275 Words   |  10 PagesThe two controversial topics discussed below share a single goal: to enhance the quality of life of a human individual. The first topic, transhumanism, is a largely theoretical movement that involves the advancement of the human body through scientific augmentations of existing human systems. This includes a wide variety of applications, such as neuropharmacology to enhance the function of the human brain, biomechanical interfaces to allow the human muscles to vastly out-perform their unmodifiedRead MoreIs Transhumanism A Practice For Medical Decision Making?1756 Words   |  8 Pagesthe ethics involved for medical decision-making. We have a 3D printer that can print biomaterials (organs, tissues, etc.) and nanotechnology that can be implanted into the body and prevent or treat disease; transhumanism is another one of these medical technologic al breakthroughs. Transhumanism is the belief that humankind can rise above its current physical and mental limitations by means of science and technology. Some of their goals are to conquer death, improve appearance and sensory capabilitiesRead MoreTechnology Is The Most Likely Possibility For A Utopia Within The 21st Century2064 Words   |  9 Pagesadvances from a philosophical view in the context of utopia, and trying to decipher whether a technological future is all that humanity hopes it will be. For those looking for a techno-utopia, the lure of transhumanism is understandable. By using machines in order to enhance and progress humans, transhumanism represents a form of self-made evolution that allows us to do anything we can imagine. Transhumanist movements tell of how the ‘use of new technologies that promise to help us overcome familiar biologicalRead MoreCan It Change Who We Are At Our Core?1635 Words   |  7 PagesTranshumanism: Can it Change Who We Are at Our Core? While the idea of transhumanism marks the path down a very slippery slope, it is not going to change the nature of humanity itself, because transhumanism only changes our physical bodies; it cannot touch our souls or our free will. Transhumanism is in a dangerous moral area, in part because it has a large potential to endanger people s rights, and also because it leads us to think being human isn’t good enough. In spite of this, it cannotRead MoreThe Is The Best For The Human Condition996 Words   |  4 PagesTranshumanism For years, scientists and transhumanists have conceptualized and cultivated ways and processes which they believe are beneficial to human life. Transhumanists want the best for the human condition by improvements of medical technology, economics, medicine, culture, and mental capacities. There are copious amounts of prototypes and ideas that are currently pushing the movement forward and giving hope to those involved. Though naysayers hold the opinion that transhumanism will separateRead MoreA Cautionary Analysis of Transhumanist Philosophy Essay1487 Words   |  6 Pagesthings may seem far-fetched, with recent scientific advancements, it may soon be possible for people to enjoy some the amazing technologies that they read about, such as life-extension therapies or cybernetic implants. A new philosophy known as Transhumanism has emerged in response to these innovations and has embraced this vision of a death-free future populated by enhanced posthumans. However, although many of th ese technologies have an enormous potential to improve the human condition, it is essentialRead MoreContemporary Scientific Progression And Discourses1329 Words   |  6 Pagesbiotechnologies presents us with unprecedented opportunities to radically transform human existence. Indeed, we can now begin to rationally examine the capacity in which such technologies can elevate the human condition by means of biological enhancement. Transhumanism represents one such ideology that embodies this future-oriented discourse and is based on the notion that the human species, in its current form, is limited by certain biological frailties (e.g. aging, disease and death). The implication beingRead MoreThe Theory Of Science And Technology1856 Words   |  8 Pagestechnology has grown with astonishing speed following the industrial revolution and the earlier agricultural revolution, science and technology have crept their way into our definitions of humanity. Such ideologies are called â€Å"po sthumanism† or â€Å"transhumanism.† Transhumanism is an intellectual movement that represents human interest in the use of technology to improve human minds and bodies. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is one of the great works to have come out of this philosophy. The novel is an excellent