Transhumanism
By David Canton
What it is
Transhumanism, abbreviated as H+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities. Transhumanist thinkers study the potential benefits and dangers of emerging technologies that could overcome fundamental human limitations, as well as study the ethical matters involved in developing and using such technologies. They predict that human beings may eventually be able to transform themselves into beings with such greatly expanded abilities as to merit the label "posthuman".
Evolution
Taking a series of enhancements throught out generations to develop a human so advanced that he would be the next step in evolution
Enhancements
Taking drugs and mechanical add ons that will remove the limitations the body gives us
Mind Uploading
Thought as removing the limitations the human body gives and increasing our intellect and processing abilities.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Supports the abolition of worldwide suffering, and providing standard civil rights for all.
- Supports democracy and liberalism in a hybrid form.
- May be able to end human disease and/or involuntary death.
- Removing gender lines
- Ability to affect the technological singularity (superintelligence) for bettering mankind (rather than say going matrix on us).
- If true, then technology can be invented to cure the world of Environmental issues.
Cons
- Goes too far into the technological side as to override nature with technology
- Blurring the lines of human identity
- Altering the democratic outlook
- Playing God
- Segregating people via genes
- Corporate interest, since those in power can abuse it from it's original intended goals.
- Losing what makes us Human, many people become alarmed at the intent to do everything by raising human consciousness mentally as well as physically, through brain augmentation and more.
transhumanism
Future of Humanity Institute
The Future of Humanity Institute is part of the Faculty of Philosophy and the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford, England. Founded in 2005, its director is Nick Bostrom. The Institute's mission is to use an interdisciplinary approach in researching areas of utmost importance to humanity, such as the effect of future technology on the human condition and the possibility of global catastrophes, and to promote public engagement in government, businesses, universities, and other organizations, while fostering informed discussion among their stakeholders.
Website: www.ox.ac.uk
Location: Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD, UK