The Integration of Technology and Biology
Transhumanism is a culture and world view which expresses and promotes a progressive transhumanist agenda. Transhumanism thus rests on the premise that human beings can and should advance themselves and come up with technologies that can help in improving on their current physical and mental statuses.
An example of transhumanist ideas being applied is “biohacking” which is the deliberate alteration of one’s body supported by the use of technology with the aim of making a particular modification. An example is having an RFID or an NFC chip inserted on your body to open doors, operate smartphones amongst other uses. Some of them are critical biohacking that entails changing genes, implanting tech in the brain, or even trying to make arrangements for cold suspension. Individuals who implement these forms of enhancements are called nowadays “cyborgs” — creatures that are half-human, half-technologic. Which brings us to cyborgism because the merging of the flesh and electronics and the incorporation of electronic appendages make it difficult to define who and what we are.
Transhumanism, in essence, is about the actualization of human potential by maximizing the use of applied science and new technologies. This involves anything that can edit our genome to get rid of hereditary diseases, prosthetics and implants to replace our limbs and organs, central nervous system boosters to enhance our brains, and nanobots in our bloodstream to fix damaged cells and reverse ageing. The ultimate purpose of this human enhancement is to prolong the human lifespan and to make people physically stronger and mentally smarter as well as more robust.
Of course, acting on human bodies by changing them through artificial interventions alters humanity on a deep, essential level. Genetic manipulation could have some effects that are yet to be seen, or those effects could be worse than the cure. The main perceived threat with such enhancements is that they could potentially increase social disparities if they are only available to those who can afford them. Others say that when natural capacities are improved, some potentials of human life are reduced, such as the ability to strive to gain knowledge and specific abilities. Transhumanist technologies are also regarded to be potentially able to become uncontrollable and that governments or other large companies will use them in order to dominate people or create waking biological weapons. Controlling enhancements becomes problematic in a world market, where individuals can tinker with themselves using DIY-sophisticated techniques.
Although some of the most extreme cases appear to be a long way off as pure science-fiction, elements of human enhancement are already becoming all but ubiquitous in terms of implants, prosthetics, and nootropics. Enhancement technologies, say most of the specialists, will develop even further in the future decades and this will bring to the fore a number of social issues. There is always the issue of whether or not people will accept the idea of designer babies with improved traits and IQ when the process is made available. Up to what degree of change can one no longer be considered human?” Critics have asked whether there are some things that should not be done to people, particularly in the light of technological advancement. Transhumanism challenges some of the of key sociological concepts and assumptions such as ‘normal’, ‘health’, ‘self’ and ‘human’ when technology is embedded deeper into the human biology and neural networks. It is possible to assume that many of the transhumanist’s utopian images of the future in their essence will become a reality.
Maher Asaad Baker
ماهر أسعد بكر
https://maher.solav.me
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