Transhumanism: Evolution of Human Intelligence Beyond the Current Form - Essay Sample

Introduction

Transhumanism refers to the idea of thinking about the future of the human species based on the premise that the current form of human beings is not the end of advancement but rather a relatively early phase that is in the progress of change. It is loosely defined as the movement that has developed gradually over time (Baelo-Allue, 2019). Also, it forms a class of philosophies of life that tries to find the continuation of human evolution in terms of intelligence beyond the current human form and limitation. The development is utilizing science and technology following the ethical principles and values. This study aims at exploring the general history and ethics of transhumanism. The first section of this paper elaborates on the audiological foundations of transhumanist ethics. Secondly, human germ-line genetic engineering according to the transhumanist idea. Also, the formulation of ethical responsibility that concerns the commodification and inequalities of human life.

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The quest to improve human capacities have a long history. The origin of transfers can be outlined to the rebirth of humanism and back to ancient times (Bohan, 2018). It is only in the recent time that humans have realized and understood the technological prerequisites that help in improving the nature of human beings. A comparison can be made from the past. There is now systematic concern on the risks and opportunities that come along with transhumanism. It is emerging as the best promising alternative of conservative ethical systems that approach human alteration. Ethical issues arise from the increasing attitude of technological possibilities and human desire to take advantage of the options (Baelo-Allue, 2019). Rather than keeping a focus on the simplistic dilemma, we realize that there several sorts of possible modifications. There is a need to consider the type that should be encouraged or discouraged. Other social policies are required to ensure that the future is open and fair.

Transhumanist believes the evolution of humans is beyond the current menta and physical limitations (Bohan, 2018). There are sure that development will reach the creation of superhuman. Zoltan Istvan is one of the famous participants of the transhumanist and founder of the Transhumanist Party as well as the third-party presidential candidate in 2016. According to Istvan, death and aging are the prominent plagues of the human. Peter Thiel, on the other hand, states that avoiding death is against human nature. He has also invested heavily in Methuselah company. Other familiar people putting similar efforts include google cofounders Sergey Brin, Larry Page, and Mark Zuckerberg. Eternal life conceptualization has raised challenges in various constructs, including healthcare, insurance, labor market, and social services. The struggle for lengthy or eternal life has raised many ethical and moral issues. Ray Kurzweil suggests some of the proposed solutions deal with immortality. He believes that digital immortality can be achieved by transferring human consciousness to machines within three decades.

Nevertheless, prediction can be made from the advancing technology, and there would likely be other developed human-like artificial intelligence before the achievement of digital immortality (Bohan, 2018). Some of the transhumanists, including Elon Musk, suggest that there is a need for humans to incorporate digital implants. It exists in the form of neural lace to the brains for them to outweigh the artificial intelligence. There are more uncomplicated implants that can be implanted in various body parts, such as the hand. The implants include a DIY kit for implanting RFID or NHFC chips.

Biohacking is another field in transhumanism. Biohacking involves DNA analysis to carry out testing of several and numerous disease conditions. It is based on genetic and hereditary aspects. Researchers are also browsing DNA data to find some clues concerning depression (Baelo-Allue, 2019). The first injection of modified cells using a gene-editing technique called CRISPR Cas9 of people living with cancers will be the first one done by the Chinese scientists. Also, genome editing has become a complex issue in the social dangers caused by genetically modified humans. It is challenging to create a different view on what it is known to mean humans (Bohan, 2018).

The history of transhumanism states back in the past decades, where information was still a limiting factor. Due to advanced technology, the approach has aimed at evaluating and understanding the chances of improving human organisms (Bohan, 2018). Today, attention has been focused on present technology, such as information technology and genetic engineering. Scientists are now looking forward to utilizing molecular nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. Some of the significant areas to be tackled include human healthspan, elimination of human suffering, social disease control, and improvement of human physical, emotional, and mental suffering.

Nevertheless, there is also the creation of space colonization and super-intelligent machines alongside other related achievements capable of significantly altering the human conditions. The improvements are not limited to machines and medicine, but also incorporates social, institutional, and social designs. Generally, the work is about finding solutions to fundamental human limitations, either cultural or psychological, techniques, and skills.

From the transhumanists' perspective, nature can be seen as progressive work that may not be completed any time soon. The existing humanity should not be the mark the end of evolution. It is there hope that if science, technology, and other rational means are used responsibly, there is a possibility to achieve posthuman beings (Bohan, 2018). Posthuman with immeasurably high capacities than the present human beings. Surprisingly, some of the transhumanists are finding ways to increase the chances that they live long to be the posthuman. For instance, living healthy lifestyles or having themselves cryonically suspended when deaminated. However, there are several ethical outlooks with reactive attitudes on emerging technologies. They view this advancement, such as human cloning, as a moral threat. The policy of transhumanists is steered by developing a vision taking great practical technique to technology policy (Bohan, 2018). The vision objective is developing more chances for those who wish to have healthier lives and live for a more extended period. Also, to improve human memory and other intellectual properties, refining emotional endorvors, and an increasing sense of well-being that is subjective. These approaches have been considered as an alternative developing customary injunction of challenging the nature created by God.

People knowing and understanding that transhumanism is not tecno-optimism is significant to the growing technology. While the future holds the potential to have technological capabilities with immense benefits, they could as well be misused and result in enormous harm. Thus, it to go to the extent of the extreme possibility of destroying intelligent life. Social inequalities are also another outcome of the gradual distraction of hard-to-quantify assets (Gocke, 2019). Meaningfully, there will be less or no human relationships and eco-diversity. This kind of risk should be considered severe, and transhumanists should also work hand in hand with developments and mitigation. Transhumanist seems to develop from secular human thinking, and it is more radical by advocating diverse needs ranging from traditional means such as cultural refinement and education to technology and medicine. Transhumanist history and ethics can be tackled by also finding the core of transhumanist axiology. The elements are contributing to the value and valuation of human nature.

Human Limitations

Human beings exist in the subspace of the world that is restricted or permitted by constraints of the universe. Suppose that humans live in the larger space of precious ways of feeling, thinking, relations, and thinking if only they could reach them. The limitations of human beings are so pervasive and familiar that they even produce a failure to reflect upon them. There are various limitations of human nature that can be related to ethical transhumanism, including lifespan, intellectual capacity, bodily functionality, sensory modalities, unique sensibilities and faculties, mood, self-control, and energy (Gocke, 2019).

Today, the lifespan of most human beings has evolved to almost seven to eight decades. It can be experienced differently in different places. The majority would wish to have a lengthy lifespan and, for that case, support the ethical approach of transhumanism. People have developed a sense that they might be missing some essential things in life by the tendency to die at an early age. Human beings need to bring in mind the vital issues that they could have achieved if they were given more chance to live (Gocke, 2019). Many personnel ranging from scholars, educators, artists, gardeners to city planners cause insufficiency when they fail to complete their projects. It is, therefore, evident that several developments are cut short due to aging and death. Lifespan influences not only the progress of human activities but also character development. It suggests that they could be a possibility that there is something so precious beyond the social sphere. Therefore, an ethical approach in the relationship between lifespan and transhumanism is supported if the aim is to provide an extensive lifespan that will promote positive development.

Intellectual capacity has been a limiting factor in most fields. Sometimes we wish that we would be a little bit smarter. Human brains can do various neat tricks, but there are other shortcomings that transhumanists have been trying to solve. For instance, people can forget to carry out some tasks, and they come to realize it later (Gocke, 2019). The problem here is insufficient memory, and that is why people set up alarms and notebooks to remind themselves. Unlike human beings, machines have been incorporating with several instructions called programs to automated activities. Brain inadequacies are inopportuneness but hardly stop humans from developing. However, the impossibility in intellectual capacity has not to be considered in the perspective of shortcomings but the capacity. For instance, the impossibility can be referred to as visualizing a 400-dimensional hypersphere or memories perfectly collection of books and understanding in various languages. Such scenarios are impossible because humans do not have the brainpower to do such. People will lack the practical ability to bring into understanding what posthuman means and concerns. The current intellects may cap human capacity extensively to discover scientific and philosophical truths.

Bodily functionality also can be altered to allow humans to survive certain circumstances such as diseases. For instance, natural immunity has been boosted by vaccinations. Vaccinations were not there in ancient times (Gocke, 2019). It will suggest that going forward, we will have more developments in human immune systems. By utilitarian theory, this will be considered as morally right to die to its outcome of saving human life. Action in this essence can be judged as ethically right by its results and the impact on humanity, given that it does not affect other human beings. Such enhancement will result in improving the quality of human lives. A more radical approach can be seen if the transhumanist generates a computational mind. Uploading the human mind to a computer could then be possible through replication in silico the details in the computational process. Upload human beings co...