What do you think about Transhumanism?

At the first glance, it seems like a noble cause to me, looks like some sort of cyber punk Renaissance, although I am not really onto all that “turn me into a robot” philosophy Transhumanism seems to favour.
We’ll see what comes of it, it’s not fully developed yet.

Interesting question, though.

It depends on the specifics, particularly on agreement on what is “progress”. I often agree with “progressive”-labelled positions, if the progress is about environmental protection & restoration, taking care of the needs of all people and of non-human species, removing corporate corruption, preventing corporations from doing bad things for mere greed, etc. But some people use the word “progress” when they are talking about industrialization, and economic “growth”, or even as an excuse to validate continuing to drive other species into extinction. I’m all for “evolving” past those destructive mindsets.

I also think that many or most of the world’s problems have ready best responses in the form of transforming mindsets rather than developing more technologies to try to sustain our survival while still stuck in old mindsets. New technologies can be great, such as the plastic trees which generate electrical power from light breezes, or putting solar tiles on already-paved ground. But I think we also need to transform our economic thinking, eliminate giant greedbag corporations and banks, remove corrupt elements from government, and back off of some technologies that are needless and potentially disastrous, such as industrial pesticide-based farming and GMO crops and hydrofracking, not to mention new oil pipelines through delicate areas, tar sands oil, and oil-cleaning organisms that mutate and become flesh-eating diseases.

@Sneki95 : While mind uploading and body upgrading/modification are certainly goals shared by many Transhumanists, it’s not inherent to the philosophy. :) But I do understand your position on the subject. And I love the description you gave… “cyber punk renaissance”... I’m going to have to remember that one!

@Zaku :In the Transhumanist perspective (at least as I understand it), things like economic systems, political systems, social constructs, etc. are all also considered technologies which can and should be developed for the furtherance of human kind. Certainly, protecting and improving the environment would fall into a category of “things that will help humanity”.

@JoyousLove If “transhumanism” means moving beyond the mindset of “humans are so wonderful that we may as well put what we and our corporations do above all other life”, then that sounds good. That is, I like prioritizing ecological needs above economic needs, rights of ecosystems to support and protection from abuse, etc.

@Zaku : I see no reason why environmental conservation should be at all at odds with Transhumanism. In fact, as I tried to point out, I feel like the two concepts are extremely compatible.

It’s a philosophy that only well fed people can afford to think about.

@monthly : I’d hardly say that, but I’m interested in hearing your reasoning.

If trans-humanism is what you described, what is humanism?

How is transhumanism different from the principle of self-actualization?

@trolltoll: Humanism is about looking at the world from the perspective of and in the interest of the human being, while transhumanism is about transcending the human condition. At least, if my understanding of the two terms is accurate.

And while self-actualization and transhumanism share similar goals (the improvement of oneself), self-actualization is about attaining ones full potential. It implies (by definition) that there is an attainable limit to that potential. Transhumanism is about transcending such limits… Never reaching a “finished” state, but instead constantly growing and changing.