A Note on Transhumanism

The following a post excerpted from my blog The 21c, on the topic of Transhumanism:

Transhumanism is, as defined by Wikipedia, “an international, intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of science and technology to enhance human mental and physical abilities and aptitudes, and overcome what it regards as undesirable and unnecessary aspects of the human condition, such as disability, suffering, disease, aging, and involuntary death” [1]; or, equivalently, as the World Transhumanism Association puts it, the “development of and access to new technologies that enable everyone to enjoy better minds, better bodies and better lives.[2]“

On a semantic note, “transhuman” is typically used to designate a state of transition, whereas “posthuman” is used to designate some final ideal state.

It has come to my attention however that this is not the only interpretation of transhumanism. As I was reading a rather dated review of Francis Fukuyama’s 2003 book Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution, I came across this quote:

“The new species, or “posthuman,” will likely view the old “normal” humans as inferior, even savages, and fit for slavery or slaughter. The normals, on the other hand, may see the posthumans as a threat and if they can, may engage in a preemptive strike by killing the posthumans before they themselves are killed or enslaved by them. It is ultimately this predictable potential for genocide that makes species-altering experiments potential weapons of mass destruction, and makes the unaccountable genetic engineer a potential bioterrorist.”

On a note of disclosure, I can neither cite the source of this quote, nor have I read Mr. Fukuyama’s book, so I am in no position to review either; this quote’s purpose here is merely one of illustration. 

Needless to say, this sentiment came as somewhat of a shock to me. Now, of course, I am well versed in the concerns over bioengineering, and hold many of those same concerns myself; however, this is the first time I have seen any reference such as this directed towards the posthuman condition. As someone who considers myself a Transhumanist, with a capital “T,” I find this interpretation to run disturbingly counter to my own motivations. Transhumanism is fundamentally a melioristic effort, a pursuit of equality despite our biology, and it seems painfully obvious how much care and consideration must be given to prevent these widespread disparities.