What if we could easily cure all diseases and disabilities? How about being able to run 100m in less than 2 seconds? Could we make human beings indestructible or even immortal?
Some of these changes may be within our reach, thanks to human enhancement and transhumanism. I’ll consider what the possible implications are.
What are human enhancement and transhumanism?
Both human enhancement and transhumanism are related, and many commentators and academics use the terms interchangeably. However, here, I will separate them out.
Put simply, human enhancement refers to the use of technology to augment the capabilities of the human body. For example, technology could be used to improve hearing or eyesight through the use of technological devices implanted in the body. Transhumanism is a philosophical movement that, in the words of philosopher Max More, ‘seek[s] the continuation and acceleration of the evolution of intelligent life beyond its current human form and human limitations by means of science and technology, guided by life-promoting principles and values.’ Therefore, when we talk of transhumanism we are referring to a movement that seeks to improve human abilities and capabilities through the use of science and technology, beyond the limits imposed by nature.
The potential benefits
Both human enhancement and transhumanism have huge potential benefits for humanity. For example, human enhancement can lead to significant breakthroughs in medicine with technological implants being used to improve hearing, vision, and cognitive ability. Innovations in healthcare technology will mean that potentially dangerous conditions, such as cancer and heart disease, can be detected earlier, thereby increasing survivability rates.
Breakthroughs are currently taking place with synthetic organs. Further advancements in research and technology could allow for our vital organs to be replaced with more durable and stronger technological versions, allowing for humans to live longer and healthier lives.
Moreover, technology could be used to strengthen the human skeleton. This would mean that catastrophic injuries or death which would normally result from serious incidents such as road traffic accidents would no longer occur.
As such, human enhancement has the potential to help humans to effectively fight diseases and the ageing process, dramatically improving our lives and increasing our lifespans. Human enhancement could even potentially end death.
Human enhancement which leads to increases in cognitive ability has the potential to lead to even greater breakthroughs in science and technology. Essentially, technology which makes us smarter increases our ability to think and to innovate. As a result, we could see improvements in practically every area of life, allowing us to live happier and richer lives while having a greater appreciation of our place in the Universe.
We could also see sporting events become even more exciting. Human enhancement could allow athletes to run faster, jump higher, lift heavier weights, and perform acts of strength and endurance which would otherwise be impossible.
As for transhumanism, in the future, we might have the ability to completely transform the human body into a form which is completely unrecognisable to its current state. Moreover, it could become possible to transfer human consciousness into a machine.
Such a transformation could increase the likelihood of humanity surviving and flourishing into the far future. If we tackle existential risks now, then there is no reason why the Earth cannot remain habitable for tens of millions of years. Beyond that, it is likely that humans will have to leave Earth and set out into our solar system and beyond. Navigating the Universe will no doubt be incredibly risky and transhumanism would make this far safer.
Furthermore, humans in the future may decide that they need to aestivate in order to take advantage of colder temperatures for computational power. The ability to do so safely, such as transferring one’s consciousness to a computer, would be hugely beneficial.
Risks and ethical concerns
Human enhancement and transhumanism have the potential to bring substantial benefits to humanity both now and into the very distant future. However, as with all technological advancements, there are still risks and ethical concerns.
Although the majority of the population would be comfortable with the idea of some form of human enhancement, there is a point where enhancements are so extensive that it is reasonable to ask if the person is still a human being. Moreover, if a person’s consciousness is transferred to a machine, one could ask if they are even a person anymore.
These are obviously huge philosophical questions that have moral and religious implications. For example, a person might believe that radically transforming their body would violate their religion. Debate also surround the ethics of ending death.
There are concerns that human enhancement could increase inequality further. For example, if the wealthiest members of society are first to gain access to these technologies, they could use it to increase their wealth and potentially prevent other people from accessing the benefits.
Furthermore, it is not just wealth inequality which could be exacerbated. Human enhancement could also lead to increases in health inequality. If only an elite few have access to technologies which can improve and prolong life, many people would argue that this is deeply unfair.
We should do it anyway
Despite the obvious ethical concerns about human enhancement and transhumanism, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.
On the point concerning the philosophical and religious implications, that should surely be a matter for individuals to decide for themselves. It’s a well-established principle of liberal democracy that individuals have rights, and so nobody should be compelled by others or the state to act in a way which violates their personal beliefs. However, the moral beliefs of others should not be able to dictate how other people act, insofar as those actions do not cause harm to other people. As such, if people do not wish to undergo human enhancement, then that is their right and they should not be forced to do so. Conversely, they do not have the right to prevent others from doing so.
Concerns over ending death are understandable. It is, in many ways, a part of life. So much so that it is almost impossible to imagine a world without death. However, as Nick Bostrom points out in Fable of the Dragon-Tyrant, just because the absence of death is hard to conceive, does not make it wrong. Death has caused misery and despair throughout history, and if a high quality of life can be extended for hundreds, thousands, or perhaps forever, it is very difficult to argue that this is bad.
The argument regarding increasing inequality is a valid concern. However, these risks can be reduced through the effective use of public policy. There should, in theory, be nothing stopping governments from ensuring that the advantages of human enhancement technologies are distributed in an equitable way.
We also must remember that it is likely that neither myself nor anyone reading this in 2022 will be impacted by many of the technological advances which we have discussed. It is often difficult to place a high value on things that will happen in the future due to temporal discounting. We might not think what we do now is very important.
Nonetheless, action taken now to deal with major potential problems in the future can have a very high expected value. Humanity has the potential to survive and flourish far into the future. That involves potentially tens of millions of generations of human beings living lives which are immeasurably better than our own. There is a strong moral argument that we should therefore act in the best interests of these future humans. One such way is working on research and development into human enhancement and transhumanism as early as possible.
The law and society is hampering progress
As we have seen, the benefits of human enhancement and transhumanism outweigh the costs. What is more, there is a strong case to be made that we have a moral obligation to our descendants in the far future. As such, it is vitally important that we begin to think about these issues now and have a regulatory environment where innovation is free to take place.
Unfortunately, many Western countries such as the UK do not currently fit this criteria. For example, societal attitudes to issues such as body modification—in which people undergo procedures to radically alter their appearance—are generally quite negative, with many people viewing it with disgust and bewilderment. Moreover, an outdated approach to the law in England and other countries means that many of the people who would like to experiment in these areas are likely to face prosecution.
This is an unsatisfactory situation. In many ways, the attitudes of some people towards body modification are understandable and they should be free to hold these views and express them. However, as discussed above, individuals and society as a whole have no right to dictate to others how they should live their lives or what they should do to their bodies.
If we want to enjoy the benefits of human enhancement and transhumanism, then we need a shift to occur in both society and the law. Only then will people be free to experiment and innovate, without fear of the prejudices of the public or of the actions of the state.
The future of humanity beckons
Human enhancement and transhumanism have huge potential benefits for humanity. As with all technological advancements they are not without risk, and there are valid concerns surrounding them.
However, there is a very strong case to be made in favour of embracing human enhancement and transhumanism. Not only do they have the potential to improve our lives now and in the near future, they could be essential for the survival and flourishing of humanity into the far future. Unfortunately, there needs to be societal and legal changes in the United Kingdom and other Western nations if the benefits of human enhancement and transhumanism are to be realised.