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rfmcdonaldA transhumanist future--a world where, after the predictions of Vinge and Kurzweil, human civilization hits a technological singularity that allows for the radical reshaping of the human self with advanced technology--is intriuging. The idea of a world where the only limits to human capacity reside in the enhanced powers of the human imagination is tremendously empowering. In theory, so much suffering could be adroitly evaded, so much good achieved. In theory.
The critical problem with this is that the radical transformation of the human self risks eroding standards for universal rights. One theme that the GURPS Transhuman Space roleplaying setting touches upon is the intrusion of corporate/technological power into domains generally considered by us early 21st century types to be innate and inalienable rights, for instance the right of the genetically-engineered to reproduce. Rather more worryingly, the radically new sophont entities created by our descendants weren't covered by existing legal systems since, regardless of the very real empathy that could naturally be felt for these minds, they weren't human. As such they could be prey. I'm reminded of perhaps apocryphal story of the contemporary scientists who announced that, if the mice into which genes for human intelligence were introduced became smarter, the problem would be dealt with quickly: "We'll kill them."
It's worth noting that in the myths of Mediterranean antiquity, those humans who attempt to take the powers of the gods for themselves invariably end up suffering for their effrontery. I'd like to believe that humans could handle godlike power responsibly, but I'm far from convinced that this is the case. At the very least, new levels of power create the potential for new sorts of wrongs. Auschwitz would never have been possible without the industrial revolution. What will transhumanism usher in?
The critical problem with this is that the radical transformation of the human self risks eroding standards for universal rights. One theme that the GURPS Transhuman Space roleplaying setting touches upon is the intrusion of corporate/technological power into domains generally considered by us early 21st century types to be innate and inalienable rights, for instance the right of the genetically-engineered to reproduce. Rather more worryingly, the radically new sophont entities created by our descendants weren't covered by existing legal systems since, regardless of the very real empathy that could naturally be felt for these minds, they weren't human. As such they could be prey. I'm reminded of perhaps apocryphal story of the contemporary scientists who announced that, if the mice into which genes for human intelligence were introduced became smarter, the problem would be dealt with quickly: "We'll kill them."
It's worth noting that in the myths of Mediterranean antiquity, those humans who attempt to take the powers of the gods for themselves invariably end up suffering for their effrontery. I'd like to believe that humans could handle godlike power responsibly, but I'm far from convinced that this is the case. At the very least, new levels of power create the potential for new sorts of wrongs. Auschwitz would never have been possible without the industrial revolution. What will transhumanism usher in?
