RE: Transhumanism, Immortality, Life, Death, and Fear
I think you neglect to consider that we have long been transhuman, as long as there has been any technology at all. Fire made us more than we were before, in ways that may be difficult to even imagine, until you've spent some time in forest full of maneating predators at night.
Watches, phones, cars... try to imagine what being human means without even the augmentation of fire to improve your lot.
It is almost uniquely human to augment ourselves with technology, and has been for millions of years. There may be a point at which technology deprives us of our humanity, but I don't know what it is, and couldn't do anything to prevent it from being passed if I did.
I reckon this is something missing all too often from the discussion of how technology impacts us, and will impact us in days to come. The essence of humanity is to surpass our biological nature, and always has been. As long as we are human, it will continue to be.
Thanks!
I recognize technological supplementation. Computers, cars, phones etc. They provide more functionality to do certain things of benefit to progressing in meaningful ways. But integrated technology into the body to (transhumanism), or to be used as an escape (augmented reality games), is more what I'm talking about. Supplementing our lives with technology to help us, vs. augmenting the body with technology and changing what it is to BE human.
Why? We are biological. There is no essence of needing to surpass the biological reality of who and what we are.
Controlling fire surpasses our biology. Spend the night in the wild without it, or clothes, or a blanky. All these things augment our abilities to surpass our biology.
I don't disagree that there is danger in too augmenting people, such that they aren't people anymore.
I just reckon I can't spot the dividing line between what is good and wholesome, and what has become bad and noxious. Not sure where it is. Clearly having access to more information more quickly isn't that line. Having a chip in my head that makes it so I don't have to type to communicate with you won't make me inhuman.
There are chips that could be put in my head that would make me inhuman, however.
There is a line we need to not cross and we need to know where it is, and we don't. The possession of better abilities isn't that line.
What is?