A Cautionary Analysis of Transhumanist Philosophy Essay

Technology has helped humanity in almost every aspect of everyday life. It has made life so much easier that it has become almost impossible to live without. In Dr. Richard Restaks “Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era”, and Alexandra Samuels “Plug In Better’: A Manifesto” they both go into detail on how technology has affected today’s society, and how it has changed human behavior to rely on it to such a degree that people have become addicted to technology as if they need it for their very survival. Both Restak and Samuel talk about how technology has made humanity more connected to each other and yet has also disconnected each other at the same time and to the real world. People use technology so much in their everyday lives to solve problems and to carry out tasks that they no longer control its effects on them, whereas before people had to rely on their own individual talents, skills, and efforts to get tasks completed. Gene therapy and other cutting edge medical techniques like all technology, has incredible life changing potential as well as possible side effects

In The Metamorphosis, the theme of dehumanization is prevalent. At the start of the novel Gregor's family appeared to care about him, but as time goes on they start to neglect him, subjugating him to further dehumanization. Gregor’s family does not show much gratitude towards Gregor despite knowing of the hardships he has endured to support his family’s lifestyle. Gregor's family sees him as a source of money. The Metamorphosis demonstrates Gregor’s internal suffering, warning us to not let people take advantage of us.

New biomedical technologies (such as the kidney machine invented in 1954) offer a multitude of choices in health care that people of an earlier time would find unfathomable, and they have altered our attitudes about death and dying (DeSpelder, Strickland 14). However, this coexistence of medicine and technology also brings confusing consequences. The same technological device that seems to extend life for one person, may to another person seem to prolong dying (DeSpelder, Strickland 16). This raises the question, “To what degree should we rely on life-saving technologies for sustaining biological functions?” Many of our attitudes toward death today are closely connected with our notions about medical technologies can and cannot accomplish. Thus, experiences of death and dying are segregated from the rest of life; unlike before. As a society, we have given over the care of our dying to specialists; caring for the dead is no longer part of our common

The rapid advancement and heavy reliance on modern technologies today is harmful to the human race because it undermines the concept of human individualism, denies the necessary qualities for deep introspection, and amplify the consequences of human error.

This ever controversial topic of discussion has been about human enhancement this includes any action by which we improve our bodies, minds, or abilities. Any options we do to enhance our well-being. The arguments with enhancement are personal health and safety, fairness, equality, and individual freedom. The practices that are being disputed in the enhancement ethics writings are related to biomedical interventions that are used to advance human form or functioning beyond what is essential to repair or maintain one's health. There are numerous differing thoughts on this issue. Enhancement raises several ethical uncertainties, even if it is possible to enhance would it be desirable? (Kaebnick, 2001)

A man named Michael Synder believes that transhumanism is an attempt to use technology to turn males into gods. The people believe that transhumanism is a time that has come for us to use technology so that we can control on what going to happen next in this world. By doing this, they believe that we will receive powers and that we will be immortal and be stronger. Transhumanists believe that we will actually be able to turn into superheroes as the technology grows and the variety becomes bigger. When we do have our superhuman powers and superhuman intelligence, they are convinced that we will receive all type of sickness, disease, poverty and war. Which means that we would not need a God when our own when we control things can do things

There are individuals in our societies, though, who believe that the dignity of life and human nature are not important in the debate of bioethics and enhancements. Fabrice Jotterand, who wrote an article for the American Journal of Bioethics, discussed in his article that bioenhancements do not corrupt the rational and moral structure of human personhood using the definition of dignity of German philosopher Immanuel Kant, which is that “persons have [an] ’intrinsic worth’ or dignity derived from the rational and moral structure of human personhood” (qtd. in Jotterand 46). If anything, Jotterand states, enhancements would improve the rational mind instead of dehumanizing it; augmenting human dignity and respecting life because enhancements are meant to transcend our “biological nature” beyond its human limits and capabilities (46, 48). However, a flaw in Jotterand’s argument is that it entails both the respect for human life and the equality of humans, which should guide biotechnology together (46). The Church declares that in attempting to transcend life, one would break the bonds of our human nature and biology, thus interrupting in the communion of life shared among horizontal, human relationships and the vertical relationship between humanity and God. Contrary to Jotterand’s beliefs, this communion of life would be set apart instead of equal, with discrimination of those with or without enhancements due to finances, location, or other factors. If society cannot end

Transhumanism is the ideology or the concept of transforming and molding the 'human condition' through the use of technology. Such technology could be used to greatly benefit and improve physical, intellectual, and even emotional qualities in an individual person. Part of transhumanist efforts are also dedicated to predicting and thinking about both the positive and negative effects as well as the dangers and benefits that this technology may provide us with.

Extending human lifespan has been the desire of humanity for centuries. Humanity must comprehend that they have been searching for a way to prolong the inevitable.The use of biotechnology in expanding human life has been a question of bioethics basis. The topical questions the use of new biotechnology that could expand the lifespan of humans by changing the body and genetics of the human body.Some examples of the new technology include Caloric Restriction, Gene Manipulation, Oxidative Damage Mitigation, Hormone Treatment, Telomeres, Nanotechnology, and Stagnant Cells Removal.With the use of new technology, we have not only increased the lifespan of humans, but slowed down the effects of aging, help prolong age related diseases, and have other

Bostrom argues that society can adapt to see the worth in modified, “posthuman” people, allotting them dignity and rights as humans even though they are modified (Bostrom 3). Sade looks at genetic modification through a much more practical lens, observing real, immediate benefits and drawbacks of genetic modification rather than overarching philosophy. There are undoubtedly many dangers and problems that will arise from mainstream genetic modification, some that may even shake the foundation of the society and culture of today. However, countless benefits come with gene therapy as well. Concrete improvements to the human race, from increased intelligence, athleticism, and height, to immunization from major diseases to perhaps eventually immortality. These benefits largely outweigh the ethical drawbacks that society will surely adapt to as the years go on. Many groundbreaking technologies have changed the structure of society in the past, like the cotton gin, assembly line, and internet. Each time, humans have successfully adapted to take full advantage of the benefits while manage the dangers and drawbacks, concrete and cultural. Whether people like it or not, mainstream genetic modification is inevitable as technology keeps increasing, and society should find solutions to manage it rather than cower from it. The future is coming, and humans should be ready for the

“To Live On”, a 2005 art installation composed of roses and infusion bags by Min Jeong Seo, elegantly captures the idea of medical advancement of a double edged sword. Seo’s art piece involves fifty long stemmed roses, eerily suspended with the blooms perfectly preserved in infusion bags, while the stems hang freely, drying and decaying at their own pace. It’s an apt visual metaphor that showcases the good and bad consequences of constant medical research and development, one that addresses the concepts of “playing God” and where quality of life gives way to mere extension of it. While scientific progress has given society increasingly effective therapies and has allowed us to extend our collective life span, it has also led us into increasingly woolly territory where we must consider if genetically typing fetuses, blanket prescription writing or a systematic emphasis on tertiary care is compatible with a higher quality of life than if our bodies were left to their own devices. Unpacking these issues requires a degree of separation away from the medical field and the patients, practitioners and occasional overcommitment to scientific dogma that introduces biases and cloudy judgement into the question of how society should use its technology. This core tension has always fascinated me and has inspired me to constantly ask if the newest discovery is actually the best, or if a simpler, more effective solution already exists and someone just hasn’t

Envision a world where nano sized robots can burrow themselves into your skin just by touching something or perhaps explode within you on command. Consider perchance, a world were humans have collective thoughts and can generate the processing power of a super computer. Sounds like something out of an awesome dream or a nightmare, depending on how you perceive it. These are just some of the ideas that are presented in transhumanism. Transhumanism can be explained as the belief that the human race can advance past its current physical and intellectual confines through the use of technology (Bostrom, 2014). In the current world we live in, we are limited by a number of factors, many of these include the scientific limitations and the properties of physics. On the other side of the limitations, lay the concepts of morality and ethical issues. Along with those concepts include how this technology correlates to our current world. In the novel The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, humans live alongside nanobots (and various other technology) in a transhumanist world. In this advanced world, the ideas of morality and ethics are still present within the human race. In many aspects, the morality and ethical issues that humans encounter today are reencountered in this transhuman world.

Transhumanization is built into human nature because humanity naturally will evolve over time into smarter and more technologically advanced species. If I were to describe the idea behind self-overcoming in transhumanization, I would also have to describe first what humanity has done with and how they have used limitations as a challenge to overcome certain obstacles, which has allowed them to develop more intelligently and technologically. The four of these philosophers wrote about how self-overcoming was humanity's nature and it comes from the concept that humanity must overcome their limitations in order to survive. History books explores this idea of evolution with technology. We can see our civilization evolve through humanity's efforts

Transhumanism is a fundamental ideology with beliefs that the human condition should and could one day improve the life span with the help of scientific knowledge and technology. The astounding progress of technology has not only helped create medicine that can help fight diseases and increase the social life around the world, but it has also helped surpass the limits presented to humans through human enhancement. Human enhancement is a technology that has helped overcome the physical, emotional, and mental limitations known to the human body by magnifying the weak aspects of a person's abilities and features by strengthening them through cosmetic enhancement. In life, accidents are bound to happen, there has been cases where people have lost

The technology of today’s world is astounding. We have learned how to battle diseases that were once thought to lead to a certain death, we have invented incredible technologies that allow us to communicate with people across the world instantly, and maybe most impressively of all, we are able to create human life. We now hold in our hands the technologies that allow those who may not have been able to conceive naturally to have children they can call their own; children who will enrich their lives in a way nothing else can, and who will continue their names and lives after they are gone. In an age where we have more power than ever to use the bodies and DNA of others for our own benefit, it becomes increasingly important that we remain