The Logical Inconsistency of Transhumanism

Transhumanists such as Nick Bostrom and Ray Kurzweil argue that radical human enhancements will allow persons alive today to achieve a kind of technological immortality. The transhumanist movement has gained numerous followers who hope to live indefinitely as bio-enhanced 'posthumans' in a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophy, theology and the sciences
Main Author: Weir, Ralph Stefan (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:German
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Published: Mohr Siebeck 2023
In: Philosophy, theology and the sciences
RelBib Classification:NBE Anthropology
NCJ Ethics of science
TK Recent history
Further subjects:B Transhumanism
B Human Nature
B Immortality
B Survival
B Personal Identity
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:Transhumanists such as Nick Bostrom and Ray Kurzweil argue that radical human enhancements will allow persons alive today to achieve a kind of technological immortality. The transhumanist movement has gained numerous followers who hope to live indefinitely as bio-enhanced 'posthumans' in a state of perpetual bliss. Transhumanism also has its opponents, however. Objections have been raised both to the possibility and to the desirability of the 'posthuman' future that transhumanists envision. This article argues that existing objections to transhumanism are vulnerable to one of two characteristic weaknesses. They depend either on debatable evaluative judgements or on doubtful speculation about the long-term future. Following this, I outline a new objection which, I claim, is not vulnerable to either weakness. According to this new objection, transhumanism presupposes two incompatible views of human nature.
ISSN:2197-2834
Contains:Enthalten in: Philosophy, theology and the sciences
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1628/ptsc-2023-0021