Strange ideas of transhumanism: bright future or decline?

Criticism of transhumanism: is it all that simple?

And although the very idea of ​​transhumanism has a huge number of followers, it still has quite a lot of critical reviews. Firstly, people who share the philosophy of transhumanism pay too much attention to human evolution and focus mostly on the improvement of the human body. But the main thing in a person is the soul. Therefore, many religions are not too supportive of such an ideology, since within the framework of transhumanism, a person actually tries on the role of the Creator. And this, in the opinion of the church, can threaten with complete dehumanization. That is, the loss by humanity of all those qualities and properties that are inherent in it as a biological species. At the same time, the followers of this idea see the transition of man to the superman as the main goal of transhumanism.

In other words, everything that is considered unacceptable for critics of transhumanism becomes a goal for adherents of the idea. But be that as it may, opponents insist that not only the appearance of the next stage of evolution, but also the very consideration of such a possibility leads to the dehumanization of society. In addition, critics of transhumanism insist that, in general, interference in the affairs of nature is very dangerous for humanity. They are afraid that this can lead to irreversible and sad consequences. Many believe that in the pursuit of perfection, the fate of a person can become too tragic. and some even believe that this could lead to a general extinction or leave most of the planet’s population behind the line of life, providing heaven on earth only to those people who will belong to the elite.

 Learn more about how Patriarch Kirill treats transhumanism in this video.

Transition from an ordinary person to the level of a superman

At its core, transhumanism involves the transition from something less perfect to something more perfect. That is, this is the transition of an ordinary person to the so-called posthuman. The very worldview of transhumanists says that at the moment a person is considered the pinnacle of evolution, but this is not the limit of development. According to the idea of ​​transhumanism, the ordinary person is bad and can be improved in all directions. Well, since most people are imperfect, according to transhumanists, only technology and science can make them better. Supporters of transhumanism are doing their best for the development of new technologies. In particular, they consider developments in the following areas of science to be the main directions that will help an ordinary person become a superman:

• Information Technology;
• Genetic Engineering;
• Nanotechnology;
• Cryonics;
• Artificial intelligence;
• Bioengineering;
• Loading consciousness into computer memory;
• Cloning and reproductive technologies;
• Creation of an isolated brain, an exoskeleton;
• Exortex.

If scientific and technological progress develops at a rapid pace, then already in 2050 it will be possible to create a posthuman. He will have superpowers and will become the highest stage in the development of evolution.

Cryonics as one of the ideas of transhumanism

In recent years, there has been a rapid development of cryonics. Cryonics implies the preservation of people and animals in a state of deep cooling in the hope that in the future they will be able to revive and, if necessary, completely cure their diseases. Aubrey De Gray, a world-famous gerontologist, is convinced that humanity will be able to see the first immortal people in their lifetime. In his opinion, the natural death of a person is only a consequence of the aging of the body, which leads to the accumulation of diseases that can be corrected. This approach to the issue of death is characteristic of all transhumanists. They see people as biological machines that can be restored a little later. What is most surprising, but in Russia there is already a company that deals with cryonics of dead people. It is located in Sergiev Posad. Here, at the request of relatives, the dead people are frozen in special storage facilities until the achievements of science make it possible to return the deceased to biological life. The dead are delivered to the center immediately after their death in order to prevent decomposition processes as much as possible. Freezing corpses costs tens of thousands of dollars. Many doctors are skeptical about freezing the dead and believe that cryonics of still living people would bring more success. But under the law, this would be considered murder, so such services are not allowed. Freezing corpses costs tens of thousands of dollars. Many doctors are skeptical about freezing the dead and believe that cryonics of still living people would bring more success. But under the law, this would be considered murder, so such services are not allowed. Freezing corpses costs tens of thousands of dollars. Many doctors are skeptical about freezing the dead and believe that cryonics of still living people would bring more success. But under the law, this would be considered murder, so such services are not allowed.

Transhumanism and digital immortality

Another solution to the problem with the immortality of mankind was proposed by Ray Kurzweil. He believes that a person can become immortal in 30 years if he transfers his consciousness into a computer. The first steps have already been taken in this direction. A robotic head has been created that looks like a human and is an exact replica of the real woman Bina Aspen. The robot was loaded with real memories, feelings, and even political views of a real-life Bina. The robotic head can support dialogue and show emotional responses. Despite the fact that now the head does not have a body, it can learn, express more than 64 emotions, which are based on information generated and received from outside.