I recently attended a conference on Transhumanism,   one of the latent and unsettling thought movements of this globalized world , which has prompted me to write some thoughts about this current of thought and its manifestations or implications.

Transhumanism     has been defined as  “a cultural movement to enhance the physical and cognitive capabilities of the human species and to apply new technologies to eliminate unwanted and unnecessary aspects of the human condition, such as suffering, disease, aging, and even mortality” (  Nick Bostrom, 2003). In the mid-20th century, developments in AI propelled this movement, and in 1997, N. Bostrom founded the  World Transhumanist Association  with this same objective. This school of thought brings together scientists and experts from diverse fields of knowledge: artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, biotechnology, pharmacology, and even philosophy, all of whom aim to change and extend human lifespan by enhancing our nature. All followers of transhumanism are influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution, as they believe that   technological Homo  sapiens  is capable of altering its nature , through biotechnology and other means, to evolve into a new, more perfect ( posthuman ) species. The term “transhumanism” is attributed to biologist J. Huxley in 1927, although the word “transhumanize” was already used by Dante in the Divine Comedy.

This movement seeks to improve humanity,    reflecting   its yearning for immortality  and the desire to “be like God .” The human desire to enhance physical and mental capabilities and aspire to happiness is not new; it has been present since the dawn of humanity and throughout its various historical periods. For example, alchemists sought the elixir of happiness; Enlightenment thinkers like Francis Bacon and David Hume advocated for the use of science to improve human living conditions; and J.O. Mettrie, known for his work on “man as machine,” asserted that it should be possible to modify human nature in the same way that external objects are manipulated. Rationalists (I. Kant, Nicolas Condorcet, and Isaac Newton) believed that human beings could develop through the applications of science; Friedrich Nietzsche argued that humanity is something that must be transcended; and so on.

Transhumanists seek   to enhance humanity   primarily in three ways: 1) increasing our longevity ( superlongevity),  2) surpassing our intelligence ( superintelligence)  , and 3) achieving a higher level of well-being ( superwelfare ). To this end, followers of this movement aim to achieve these three goals through the use of technology, advances in genetics, and advancements in pharmacology. Consequently, many of the major technology companies (GAFAM) invest billions of dollars in the study of   the  singularity —that is, understanding when computers will begin to think like humans. For this reason, they have created Singularity University in California, whose motto is “Preparing Humanity For Accelerating Technological Change . “

As I have already mentioned, transhumanists want to reverse aging ( superlongevity ),   they do not accept our limitations or even death itself ; hence the rise of   cryogenics   , or the preservation of the body after death for its return to life in the near future. Furthermore, they want to avoid suffering and promote the   selection of embryos   that will result in people without defects or pathologies—that is, “designer babies.” Representatives of liberal eugenics, such as J. Savulescu, advocate for imposing a moral obligation that children with disabilities not be born. They are convinced that the elimination, through abortion, of fetuses with congenital anomalies would be permissible.

Another transhumanist strategy focuses on the use of   molecular nanotechnology , implanting microchips in various parts of the body to enhance human capabilities, primarily cognitive ones ( superintelligence) . A third strategy relies on the use of   drugs to control our emotions   and thus achieve greater emotional and even overall well-being ( superwelfare ). There are already individuals involved in this school of thought who have been consuming over 200 pills a day for more than two decades, without ingesting any other food.

They also advocate a   post-biological existence   based on the reproduction of an individual’s synaptic matrix in order to replicate it in a computer or another human being (brain transplantation). Transhumanists present science as absolute, in which genes and neurons determine all human activity.

Given this scenario, it seems obvious to consider   the inequalities   that will arise between different types of beings:   humans, transhumans, and posthumans,   since not everyone can or will be able to access the potential for enhancement offered .  For example, access to pharmacology for improved memorization, due to its cost, or access to jobs due to the different abilities of humans, transhumans, and posthumans. According to N. Bostrom (2008), a   transhuman   would be a human being in transformation, with some physical and mental capacities superior to those of a normal human, but not yet posthuman. Conversely, a   posthuman   would be a being with both an organic and a cybernetic component ( cybernetic organism  or cyborg ), with a lifespan exceeding 500 years; intellectual capacities twice as high as the maximum that current humans could possess, with mastery or control over emotional impulses and without psychological suffering. The   Technological Postulate   refers to the creation of posthumans and is planned to take place within 100 years; researchers from the  Foresight Institute  and the  Entropy Institute have been working on this  since the late eighties.

The transhumanist mindset will make us more dependent, more isolated, less creative, less free, and therefore less happy. Furthermore, as is already happening, the overuse of technology will diminish our capacity to strive for what makes us better people or professionals; we will lose the ability to meet our needs, and our capacity for concentration and analysis will decrease. (…) In short,   transhumanists want us to cease being “human” and become “posthuman .” Their conception is materialistic, disrespectful of human dignity, and alien to the transcendence of humankind.

It is clear that transhumanism raises many   philosophical and moral questions . For example: Who sets the limits and norms of biotechnological enhancement? How can we guarantee equal rights and responsibilities between humans and posthumans? Who decides what constitutes a perfect or happy person, and how? Where does human dignity reside? What is a therapeutic enhancement versus a transformative enhancement?

There is no doubt that genetic manipulation has ethical implications, since designing beings to order can lead to eugenic practices, such as the elimination of imperfect people or the manipulation of embryos to make them more perfect, (…). It is worth remembering, however utopian it may seem, that   humankind, in the exercise of its freedom, can transform itself and even annihilate itself .

The transhumanist concept   may seem like the solution to many of our shortcomings and difficulties, but   if limits are not set, it could destroy humanity , since it presents a human being detached from their nature; humans are created and can be replaced by a supermachine. Many of the proposals of transhumanism are already being implemented; others are not yet achievable, but it may all be a matter of time.

There are also   voices that warn us , such as  Francis Fukuyama,  who considers transhumanism  “one of the most dangerous ideas in the world”  because it alters human nature and destroys equality among human beings. To escape this potential danger, we must understand how the transhumanist mindset is present in our society and how it can affect our lives.

Perhaps the   most appropriate and prudent stance   is to maintain hope that regulations on the use of technological advances, due to their moral implications, will preserve the dignity of the human person.