Transhumanism

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Suppositions on the future have always been a popular topic in science fiction. From Arthur C. Clarke to Phillip K. Dick, we are resplendent with models of the potential evolutionary path that society will take in the near future. Of course this then bleeds into inspired works, movies like 'Blade Runner', shows like 'Altered Carbon', and games like 'Deus Ex'. Subgenres like Steampunk and Cyberpunk then expand upon traditional Sci-fi ideas and flesh them out into full blown thought experiments. One of the most enduring ideas I've seen raised in science fiction is one that seems determined not to stay in the realm of fiction for too much longer; the concept of Transhumanism.

Some of the most memorable works in futuristic fiction have revolved around transhumanist ideals, and whether achieving them is for the better or (usually) for the worse of humanity. Eidos' Deus Ex has held the theme of transhumanism close to the core of the franchise since the original and CD Projekt Red has been teasing a similar approach for their upcoming: Cyberpunk 2077. So what makes this topic so inviting for sci-fi writers? How does it allow us insight into 'the human condition'? And, fundamentally, what is transhumanism?

Transhumanism, as it currently exists, is little more than philosophical movement, with a few small examples to it's name but nothing drastically world-changing as of yet. Given time and technology, however, transhumanism will become a revolution that will reshape the very way we look at human evolution. A shift from the Darwin model to something more... deliberate. To get to the core of the term however, let's first define humanism. Humanism is a sympathetic understanding and treatment of the human nature. It is the placing of human need and values above religious beliefs and spiritual desire. It is trusting in being human. Transhumanism is a drive to fundamentally revolutionize what it is to be human through means of technological advancement. It is adaptation and improvement upon the limits of what is humanly possible.

Transhumanists believe that humanity is shackled by the confines of traditional evolution. They argue that many aspects of humanity that have resulted from evolution are ill suited in the society of today. Our capacity for aggressiveness and violence has become outdated in a world wherein we are the apex predator; selfishness and greed is pointless and damaging given a society with enough supplies to feed everyone, So on and so forth. Natural evolution has done wonders for allowing us to get this far as a species but transhumanists argue that it cannot push us any further. Nature cannot account for the future of society the way that humans can do, because we are the one's driving that society. Therefore it is the goal of transhumanism to account for the future as it drives humanity forward.

However, at the end of the day this is just a theory, right? A vague idea of what humanity could become. Well, maybe not. Afterall, technology has already shaped major aspects of our lives. Travel and movement have evolved tremendously because of technology; planes allow us cross whole seas in the matter of hours; cars transform the possibilities of daily transit; and space craft allow us to withstand the climates of space. And what about the way we access information? The human brain can only hold so much data, but with the Internet we can access databases worth of information on anything in the world. Then there is the way we communicate. Nowadays we can converse with anyone, anywhere on the globe, instantly. All of these innovations in the daily lives of humans are because of the ever changing face of technology and what it grants us. The only way things can improve significantly now would be if we could integrate these advance with our bodies so that we can access them easier.

This would mean that the next step of human evolution is for the entire race to become cyborgs, wouldn't it? Well, as far as transhumanists are concerned, yes. Just like the 'augmented' for Deus Ex, cybernetic enhancements will drive the future of humanity. It does sort of make since when you think about it. A normal human neuron can travel through axons at 100 meters per second, roughly a third the speed of sound; Whereas computers transmit information at the speed of light: 299, 792, 458 meters per second. If we replaced our slow human processors with fast cybernetic ones, human capabilities would be improved upon immensely. Of course then you'd have to invest in robotic limbs capable of reacting to those improved processing times and then cybernetic muscles that could resist the strain that such actions would cause. At the end of the day you'll end up looking like Murphy from Robocop, wondering just how in the heck you wound up like this.

But what if I told you that the concept of cyborgs didn't just exist in the realm of speculation, either? Already there are people who have become integrated with technology in ways that improve their functions beyond what is possible in the standard human package. Neil Harbisson is one such man. Having been born completely colourblind, Neil Harbisson underwent a surgery to fit himself with an antenna coming out of head that bridges the gap of viewing colour in a unique way. This 'Eye Borg', as he calls it, picks up the dominant colour in front of him and transposes the frequency of the light into the frequency of sound. Allowing Neil to hear the colours in front of him. Of course, then he decided that he would push the possibilities just a little further and he adjusted the 'Eye Borg' to allow him to hear infrared and ultraviolet too. Frequencies that are imperceptible to the human eye. This is perhaps a more extreme example of real-world augmentation, but there are much smaller, simpler cybernetic surgeries too. On the other end of the spectrum, hobbyists have begun planting subdermal RFID chips in their hands in order to simplify a lot of daily activities. Switching on lights, unlocking cars, and the like. Perhaps it won't be too long until this kind of behaviour isn't anomalous but standard procedure.

Let's shift focus back on transhumanism. What separates the examples I've just shared with the larger goals of transhumanism? What are the key aspects that society must establish in order to actualise true transhumanism? It comes down to three key elements, nicknamed 'the three supers'. Super Longevity, Super intelligence and Super Wellbeing. Super longevity is the point at which society starts treating aging as an illness to be cured. It can be achieved through the development of tech to combat aging, not just it's effects, allowing people to push the limits of life. Then there is: Super intelligence. Most of us are familiar with this concept from sci-fi films; Sush as 'Skynet' from Terminator or 'the Reapers' from Mass Effect. AI that has reached the point of general human intelligence and surpassed it a million times over. An event that people like to 'the technological singularity'. But what if superintelligent AI wasn't something we needed to fear, because it was already a part of us? The advancements of tech would also be the advancements of humanity making our evolution symbiotic. Finally, there is: Super Wellbeing. The point as which we can genetically engineer ourselves to improve our lot. Phase out suffering, iron out personality defects, edit out very genes on the fly.

These all sound like very space-age dreams, but in truth ideals like this have been desired by humanity for centuries now. Swedish Philosopher Nick Bostrum claims the transhumanist ideals date back to our oldest legends. He points to 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' and the quest for immortality,
and tales about the fountain of youth or the elixir of life. Then there is Qin Shi Huang, The Chinese emperor who was so afraid of death that he is rumored to have hastened his own end through the consumption of mercury-filled pills that he believed to be the elixir of life. For as far back as humans have told stories we have examples of people seeking ways to alter the body in order to stave off death. Perhaps now that we live in an age of technological marvels, one of the oldest desires of man can finally be fulfilled.

Of course there are consequences of achieving 'The three supers' that transhumanists often fail to address. Such as the ramifications of living in a world without death. Approximately 150,000 people die every day, in response roughly 360,000 are born each day. How long would it take the world to be destroyed under the weight of over population if we abolished death? (Then we'd need Thanos and his infinity gauntlet.) What about the consequence of living in a world without suffering? If humans no longer needed to fear pain or death, than what is there to stop hedonism from stunting the progress of personal growth, the pursuit of knowledge and the search for improvement? As much as I hate to quote 'Star Trek V: The Final Frontier', there is a valid point to be made when Kirk says "(Pain is) the thing we carry with us, the thing that makes us who we are." Take away such a fundamental ingredient for the human condition and who do we become? What do we become?

Then there is the fact that when we open ourselves up to technology, we also open ourselves up to the vulnerabilities of technology. In 2010 a British scientist called Mark Gasson allowed a glass capsule RFID chip implanted in his hand to be infected with a computer virus. Gasson's team theorized that such a virus could then spread to other systems. He even purposed that such infections could reach other, more traditional implanted tech like cardiac pacemakers and the like. There are examples of situations like this playing out in games, like in 2011's 'Deus Ex: Human Revolution'. In that, Hugh Darrow transmits a universal signal around the world that effects every augmented individual, inflicting them with hallucinations and causing them to go insane. This was all part of an attempt to force regulative legislation against transhumanist pursuits but the result was the deaths of thousands. Of course, Deus Ex is fictional story set in a dystopian version of our own future, but there is no frame of reference to say such an attack could never happen. Sometimes life does imitate art.

We mustn't forget about economical issues either. If evolution becomes dependant on being implanted with technology then it seems inevitable wealth will become a determining factor in how evolved an individual is. Wealthier participants will be able to afford top of the line cybernetics whilst working-class individuals will have to settled for obsolete brands. This is another negative aspect of transhumanism that is reflected in Deus Ex. In Human Revolution, the city of Hengsha boasts a gang know as 'The Harvesters' who go around ripping augmentations off of wealthy victims in order to repurpose them or sell them on the black market. Then there is the issue that Deus Ex brings up regarding Neuropozyne: an expensive, but necessary, drug that combats the rejection syndrome of mechanical augments. Paying for the drug is crippling for many people and encourages an underground market of under-the-counter prescriptions. Again, this is all currently within the realm of fiction, but it is very much designed to be a reflection of our current world. Is it so hard to imagine such a reality befalling society in our future? Oftentimes it seems that the world is always teetering on the brink of social/economical collapse. Could a radical shift like this be the final straw to tip us over the edge?

Transhumanism was borne out of the desire and hope that technology can allow humanity to "transcend itself" as the movement's founder, biologist Julian Huxley, describes it. We would shed all of our weaknesses and inferiorities and strive towards a future of perpetual improvement. A utopia of sorts. Yet things rarely work out so cleanly in the real world. At this point I think it is safe to say the transhumanism is more than just a proposition of what may become, but a process that has already begun in our society. It is only a matter of time before cybernetics and technological integration become a part of everyday life, shaping our future in the way that we want it to be shaped. But what does it actually mean to live in a future shaped by technological evolution? How will that affect the balance of the world, the disparity between rich and poor, strong and weak? Will it affect that balance at all? There is still so very much to figure out, much of which we can only guess at. Overall, the most important question to ask when it comes to the rise of transhumanism, is whether it will be the start of a whole new chapter for humanity or the end of the book.