Research Paper

Transhumanism is a philosophy that emphasizes the advantages of using technology to transform the human body and mind. The goal of the Transhumanist movement is to fundamentally alter the human condition in order to advance the species intellectually, psychologically, and physically. The movement can trace its origins to the fundamental human wish for self-advancement, and the innate desire to be physically and mentally strong enough to evolutionarily outcompete others. Transhumanists aim to advance the human condition through genetic modification and other technologies, with the goal of achieving a world filled with “posthumans.” The transhumanist goal of technologically modifying the human condition has created conflict with both bioconservatives and members of the religious community. Opponents of Transhumanism have raised concerns about the fundamental goals and ideals of the movement, however, opponents acknowledge the validity of some Transhumanist objectives.

Transhumanism has recently risen to prominence in scientific circles. Nick Bostrom, a prominent Transhumanist and professor of philosophy at Oxford, states,

“It promotes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding and evaluating the opportunities for enhancing the human condition and the human organism opened up by the advancement of technology. Attention is given to both present technologies, like genetic engineering and information technology, and anticipated future ones, such as molecular nanotechnology and artificial intelligence”.[1]

Bostrom serves as the founding director of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University, and has written over 200 pieces relating to his primary fields of study, anthropics, transhumanism, and the concept of existential risk. In the early twenty-first century, Bostrom, with David Pearce, founded the World Transhumanist Organization.

Though a leading Transhumanist proponent, Bostrom is hardly the only major figure in the Transhumanist movement. He has several prominent contemporaries, including Max More, the CEO of the Alcor Life Extension Foundation[2]. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, Alcor is “the world leader in cryonics, cryonics research, and cryonics technology”[3]. Cryonics is a cutting edge field of research that involves freezing the human body to artificially preserve it. Ted Williams is arguably the most notable person to have been preserved using cryonics after his death in 2002[4]. The controversial nature of the practice of cryonics came to light when, in 2009, it was revealed that Alcor employees had abused Ted Williams’ preserved body4. The revelation drew a barrage of negative media attention, and served as a major setback for a practice struggling to gain public support. Cryonics exemplifies Transhumanism’s pervasive nature; it aims to alter all aspects of the human condition, including death.

Modern Transhumanism experienced significant advancement at the hands of FM-2030. Fereidoun M. Esfandiary championed Transhumanist ideals, and, in 1989, penned the work Are You a Transhuman? Monitoring and Stimulating Your Personal Rate of Growth in a Rapidly Changing World[5]. Esfandiary legally changed his name to FM-2030 in the 1970s to reflect his desire to live until his hundredth birthday. In Are You a Transhuman? Monitoring and Stimulating Your Personal Rate of Growth in a Rapidly Changing World, FM-2030 postulated, “It’s just a matter of time before we reconstitute our bodies into something entirely different, something more space-adaptable, something that will be viable across the solar system and beyond”[6]. The progressive nature of modern transhumanist concepts in early twenty-first century society makes the radicalism of FM-2030’s ideas, even more striking.

Another prominent Transhumanist, Anders Sandberg works with Bostrom as a research fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute[7]. On his website, Sandberg quotes David Zindell in order to explain the underlying philosophy of Transhumanism: “‘What is a human being, then?’ ‘A seed…an acorn that is unafraid to destroy itself in growing into a tree.’” Sandberg divides Transhumanism into three distinct categories: Individual, Global, and Cultural7. Transhumanists plan to expand the movement to include all aspects of life.

While Transhumanists champion the potential of altering the human mind and body to attain goals such as increasing the quality and length of life, members of the religious community strongly disagree. One of the fundamental aspects of the Judeo-Christian tradition, particularly that of Roman Catholicism, concerns the idea that God created humans in His likeness. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” 8. Christianity teaches that the fundamental imperfections of humanity are less significant than the divine features inherent in each human being. Transhumanism directly contradicts this notion, emphasizing the perceived flaws in both the human mind and body. The idea that human condition requires improvement signifies a disdain for God-given abilities. Father Edward Richard, the pastor of Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Sulphur, Louisiana and noted moral theologian, stated, “…[Transhumanism] seems to have a contempt for our humanity as it is ‘confined’ in or limited to the present state of our corporeal existence. Our higher selves are being limited by the capacity of our bodies. There is a contempt for the flesh”[8]. Although Transhumanists present their ideas for changing the human condition in a way that emphasizes their positive potential, members of the religious community argue that such alteration indicates a lack of respect and appreciation for God-given life and abilities.

Most religions operate with the belief that their deity has established a plan for the life of each individual. Transhumanism overlooks, and even violates this principle by attempting to extend life past its natural conclusion. Christian scholars base their views on the natural beginning and end of life on several Bible passages, but one is particularly applicable and oft cited,  “The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up”[9]. Although Christians believe that life is a gift from God and must be protected, they also believe that it is God’s right to take it away. A specific branch of Transhumanism, cryonics, adheres to one, but not both of these tenets.

Cryonics “is the science of cryopreserving and caring for terminal patients after contemporary medicine can no longer treat them effectively”11.  The Alcor Life Extension Foundation maintains that its practice does not violate religious beliefs, because Alcor scientists believe that a patient is not truly dead until brain function is no longer possible, which is several minutes after the patient’s heartbeat stops. However, the moment that a patient cannot be resuscitated is the legal and religious definition of death. Whether or not a patient could be revived in the future, using a technology that is purely hypothetical, does not contribute to modern religious scholars’ definition of natural death. Father Richard argued, “When we enter the realm of eugenics or trying to supplant or ignore God’s providential plan for humanity, we have clearly exceeded the limits of what is morally acceptable”9. Alcor’s belief that it does not violate religious values, and the religious community’s view that cryonics is an unnatural and unnecessary practice, indicates a misunderstanding between the two sides. The Alcor Life Extension Foundation adamantly states that, “Cryonics… is a scientific approach to extending human life that does not violate any religious beliefs or their principles.”11

The belief that God guides the lives of each person is essential to Christian ideology. Michael Cook, the editor of an online bioethics magazine, said, “The central idea of transhumanism is that the destiny of our species is completely, wholly, up to us… There is no sense of the divine providence, God looking after us, which is so characteristic of Christian thinking”9. Indicative of its agnostic roots, Transhumanism rejects of the existence of any divine plan. Instead, humans play the central role in the determination of the length and quality of life.

Looking to the future, control of technology and funding presents a primary obstacle to the advancement of Transhumanism. With the potential for such life-altering genetic changes, the technology necessary to fulfill the Transhumanist vision would be invaluable. In a world in which 83.7 percent of the wealth is controlled by eight percent of the population, the cost-prohibitive potential of genetic technology could increase the wealth gap12. In terms of quality of life, the technology would not only make the rich richer, but would also further impoverish the poor. Those without the financial means to participate in genetic modification would be at a distinct disadvantage in terms of their ability to survive. In addition to being limited by wealth, the population’s ability to use genetic modification would also be limited by politics.

With such life-altering potential, genetic modification technology would require an extensive system of regulations. Control of the technology would likely fall to politicians. The ability to manage the quality and length of life of a population would become a formidable weapon for coercion and persuasion. Although Transhumanists champion the benefits of modifying the human genome, the same technology and techniques could be used to potentially disastrous effect. Genes could be modified to contain traits that make the carrier susceptible to diseases, among other things.

In his novel, Inferno, Dan Brown displays the possible effects of genetic engineering. The antagonist, Bertrand Zobrist, a prominent scientist and Transhumanist, uses his extensive knowledge of genetics to create a virus that alters human DNA. The virus spreads rapidly across the world, rendering one-third of the world population sterile. Through his work, Brown introduced Transhumanism to a worldwide audience. Zobrist also firmly believed that humanity faced an overpopulation crisis; that the growth of the human race had become unsustainable. Brown demonstrates that Transhumanist views, when combined with fanatical beliefs, can lead to an extremely dangerous situation for humanity.

Transhumanism presents an interesting dilemma for scientists and ethicists. The potential benefits of genetic engineering, such as disease-elimination, increased life expectancy and heightening quality of life come are contrasted by the possible detrimental uses of the technology. Additionally, the development and manufacturing of the tools required for genetic research and modification present new, beneficial economic opportunities. Before Transhumanist goals can be fully realized, society will have to evaluate the moral and ethical implications of supporting a movement that hopes to fundamentally change the human condition. People must also plan how to manage genetic modifications, and in what ways the process should be limited. This should be done before the technology is fully developed, in order to prevent corruption and bias.