Transhumanism is an emergent school of speculative philosophy analysing or favouring the use of technology, especially neurotechnology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, to improve the human condition.
The term 'transhumanism' was used by Julian Huxley in 1957, and ideas about concepts of "transhuman" are recognized in various writings. But there is no authentic precursor to the ideas of transhumanism as we know of it today. Even Huxley's definition differs substantially from the one commonly in use since the 1980s. Transhumanism was given its modern definition and characterization by philosopher Dr. Max More: "Transhumanism is a class of philosophies that seek to guide us towards a posthuman condition. Transhumanism shares many elements of humanism, including a respect for reason and science, a commitment to progress, and a valuing of human (or transhuman) existence in this life. [] Transhumanism differs from humanism in recognizing and anticipating the radical alterations in the nature and possibilities of our lives resulting from various sciences and technologies []." [1](http://www.maxmore.com/transhum.htm)
Other definitions of "transhumanism" have been suggested, such as "Transhumanism is the philosophy that we can and should develop to higher levels, physically, mentally and socially using rational methods," by Dr. Anders Sandberg, and "Transhumanism is the idea that new technologies are likely to change the world so much in the next century or two that our descendants will in many ways no longer be 'human'," by Dr. Robin Hanson. Summarising the Transhumanist FAQ (2.1)(http://transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/faq/), transhumanism is as follows:
Transhumanists generally support emerging technologies, including many that are controversial, such as human genetic engineering, cryonics, and advanced uses of computers and communications; as well as future technologies such as space travel, cloning, nanotechnology, and mind uploading. They often believe that AI will some day surpass human intelligence.
Some believe that the pace of technological development is steadily increasing, leading many forward-thinkers to speculate that the next 50 years will yield remarkable and radical technological advancements. Transhumanism maintains that this is desirable and that humans can and should become more than human through the application of technological innovations as genetic engineering, nanotechnology, neuropharmaceuticals, prosthetic enhancements, and mind-machine interfaces (see Human Cognome Project).
Following in the tradition of Enlightenment-influenced 19th century political, moral and philosophical thought, transhumanism seeks to build upon the global knowledge base for the betterment of all humankind.
Derived in part from the philosophical traditions of secular humanism, transhumanism asserts that humans should be viewed as the "center" of the moral universe, and that there are no 'supernatural' forces that guide humanity. While largely a grassroots and broadly based movement, transhumanism does tend toward rational arguments and empirical observations of natural phenomena; in many respects, transhumanists partake in a culture of science and reason, and are guided by life-promoting principles and values.
Specifically, transhumanism seeks to apply reason, science and technology for the purposes of reducing poverty, disease, disability, malnutrition and oppressive governments around the globe. Many transhumanists actively assess the potential for future technologies and innovative social systems to improve quality of all life, while seeking to make the material reality of the human condition fulfill the promise of legal and political equality by eliminating congenital mental and physical barriers.
Transhumanism argues that there exists an ethical imperative for humans to strive for progress and improvement (see Perfectionism). If humanity enters into a post-Darwinian phase of existence in which humans are in control of evolution, random mutations will be replaced with rationally, morally and ethically guided change.
To this end, transhumanists engage in interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and evaluating possibilities for overcoming biological limitations. This includes the use of the various fields and subfields of science, philosophy, economics and natural and sociological history.
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Transhumanism - Definition | WordIQ.com
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