Kenneth Blaney
Dr. David S. Hogsette
LITR 410-W01
May 15, 2005
Transhumanism: Salvation or Damnation?
Transhumanism and the concept of a post-human are commonly explored topics in
science fiction. Transhumanism is the belief that we can better ourselves through technology.
Many transhumanists argue that extending human capabilities is simply speeding up the natural
process of evolution. Transhumanist goals include the extension of life to near immortality,
augmentation of strength of mind and body and over coming disease. Transhumanists are said to
be seeking to be post-human, that which comes after being human. As our technology increases,
more and more people start to think about the post-human and its possibility. Is it likely that we
will develop the technology required to make ourselves different enough so that we can no
longer be classified, biologically speaking, as homo sapiens? Some transhumanists believe that
it is not only possible, but we are already well on the road to post-humanity:
Clearly we have already taken our first steps along the road to post-humanity. We
have begun to directly alter our genetic structure to remedy nature's failures. We
use Prozac, Piracetam, Hydergine, and Deprenyl to modify our psychology,
enhance our concentration, and slow brain aging. Research into more specific and
powerful neurochemical modifiers accelerates as we apply new tools from
molecular biology, computer-assisted molecular design, and brain imaging.
(More)
As these transhumanist scientists explore ways of changing the future of human development,
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some science fiction writers are stopping to ask some questions that many of these
transhumanists are not asking: Should we make such changes and enhancements to the human
body? What are the possible consequences of such technical and bio-chemical alterations to the
human form? According to such writers as William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and Michael
Crichton, the transhumanist future is not very bright, and we would do well to consider carefully
some of the warnings presented by these futurist writers.
A major aspect in transhumanism is replacing parts of the human body with machine
parts. Anders Sandberg of the Transhuman Web Alliance notes that Machine limbs could
potentially restore someone’s ability to walk if they had previously damaged their leg. In fact just
about any damaged organ could be replaced with a fully functional machine once this technique
is perfected. We are already on this road, argue some transhumanists, by way of the artificial
pacemaker. The inevitable end of this is the creation of artificial organs that are actually stronger
and more reliable than the original limbs. At this point people would be forced to trade in their
old bodies for stronger ones (Sandberg).
In Neuromancer William Gibson explores what it could be like to augment the human
body with technology, creating post-human beings. The character Molly is one such posthuman. We find out that Molly used to work as a prostitute where she literally sold her body. By
separating her mind from her body, he body was freed to do anything and it would not remain on
Molly conscience. Why was she resorting to such extreme measures to get money? She wanted
to buy upgrades for her body. The pressure to keep up robbed her of her humanity and dignity.
Eventually she decided to quit when she woke up with people’s dead bodies everywhere (Gibson
138-142). Molly was not only losing her humanity to machines being added to her body, she was
losing her humanity to the atrocities she has been forced to commit.
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Case is another such post-human. However, unlike Molly, who has had her body
improved, Case has had his mind improved with a computer chip in his mind that allows him to
“jack in” to the matrix. However, Case’s greatest pleasure would become his greatest horror.
When Case attempts to steal from his former employers, they catch him and poison him so that
he is unable to jack into the matrix. At this loss he becomes a washed up drug addict, whose only
pleasure is in drug abuse. Ironically after he is given his abilities back, he loses the ability to get
high from drugs (Gibson 1-37). He is constantly forced into sacrificing his own happiness in
order to continue living as a post-human.
In both Case and Molly we see a loss. Each strives to be the best person they can be.
However, despite technology having made them better, there is a clear loss. Each sacrifices so
much of their happiness without even realizing it. Case is forced to give up his drugs in order to
have the ability to jack into the matrix restored to him. Although some may argue that Armitage
did him a favor by freeing him of his dependency, Case definitely is unhappy about it. Molly
makes much larger sacrifices. On top of her horrible actions and traumas, she also is forced to
physically alter her appearance, most notably her eyes. This alteration of appearance prevents her
form being very intimate, as seen in love scene between Case and Molly. He goes to touch her
face but she pulls back worried about finger prints on her eyes.
Another aspect of the post-human is post-biological existence. The World Transhumanist
Association suggests that in a post-biological existence a person is able to overcome the flesh
and, hypothetically, upload a person’s mind into a computer system. By doing this such flaws as
aging and damage can be eliminated. Also a post-biological existence allows for the possibility
of ‘super intelligence.’ This is defined by increasing the speed or complexity of the human mind
through computers. For example, if you upload your mind onto a machine with a higher clock
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speed than your own, you will then have more thoughts per second (World Transhumanist
Association).
However, we are left with the question of possibility. The only way that a post-biological
existence can work is if the human mind is nothing more than a collection of chemicals and the
human thought process is nothing more than a series of electrical impulses. Uploading your brain
to a hard drive yields another horrifying thought: when your mind is uploaded to a hard drive
what prevents someone from making a copy (Sandberg). Even worse is when you think of the
file sharing sites of today being used to share personalities.
In Neuromancer we are introduced to a character named Dixie Flatline. Something we
learn about Dixie early on is that he is actually just the recording of a dead man. It would seem
that since, in the world of Neuromancer, a post-biological existence is possible. As a result we
would be able to determine that William Gibson is a transhumanist. However we end up seeing
an interesting reaction in Dixie. He tells everyone that after the job is over he wants to be
deleted. In his transfer over to the post-biological world he seems to lose something greater than
just his perception of time and ability to make new memories (Gibson 78-79). This would seem
to suggest that although there is a physical component of the mind that can be copied onto a
computer, yet there is also a metaphysical aspect that cannot. The message presented is
cautionary. We are forced to realize that, although we might be able to save our minds on a
computer, we might not really want to.
One direction that technology has started to bring us is the development of
nanotechnology. Ralph Merkle explains that nanotechnology is the use of tiny machines that are
capable of constructing or reconstructing something out of atoms directly, much like how our
living cells are capable of forming the various materials that are needed to keep us alive. The
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possibilities are endless with the creation of nanotechnology. We will be able to create stronger
building materials or manipulate anything on almost any scale (Merkle). However the uses of
such a technology would certainly not be limited to just the non-living.
In The Diamond Age we see the concept of a “mod shop.” People go to these mod shops
so they can customize their bodies with various types of Nan machines, called nanites. In no
simpler terms a mod shop is like a chop shop for the human body. We meet Bud while he is
making his way towards a mod shop. He has already had several improvements to his biology in
the past. Most radically, he has had nanites implanted in his body that stimulate his muscles
constantly. These muscle contractions make Bud stronger, as if he was constantly working out.
Early in the story he gets something called a “skull gun” implanted in his forehead (Stephenson
1-4).
Despite Bud having “improved” himself, his improvements come at a heavy cost. Due to
the nanites in his muscles Bud has become twitchy and nervous. His skull gun however gets him
in the most trouble. After getting the skull gun installed people become afraid of him. Bud is
inspired to start mugging people when a man pays him not to hurt his family. It goes well for him
for a little while until Bud mugs the wrong person, a member of a tribe known as the Ashantis.
After that point he becomes a wanted man (Stephenson 24). On a personal level Bud suffers
from the same thing that seems to be afflicting the society as a whole: the misuse of technology.
Nanotechnology is also a major issue in Prey. Here we see a group of scientists who are
at the very beginning of nanotechnology. However they almost immediately regret it when a
swarm of nanites escapes into the surrounding desert and starts to multiply. The nanites even
start to evolve and learn to simulate being human. Eventually we learn that Julia has started to
become transhuman, but not yet post human, as the nanites formed a relationship with her. The
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relationship started as symbiotic, but slowly became parasitic (Crichton 1-364).
Are we moving toward transhumanism in the society? Each day medical advancements
for disabled people are invented. Chemicals designed to ease the symptoms of mental illness
might be a step toward the transhuman ideal. However a line can be drawn between using
technology to help people live normal lives and using technology to create superior humans.
Slowly, however we seem to be reaching for that line. In The Diamond Age, Bud has an implant
which allows him to play music in his ears that no one else can hear. At first this may seem like a
outlandish concept, but in reality we are not very far off. Just consider for a minute how many
people you see each day with an iPod that seems to be almost permanently affixed to their thigh
pocket or belt on their hip.
As we see very notably in these science fiction novels, a post-human world is not entirely
different from a post-apocalyptic one. Despite becoming post-human none of the characters from
any of the stories, Case, Molly, Dixie Flatline, Bud, or Julia, seem truly satisfied with their
station in life. In each case they were looking for the technological quick fix. And in each case
they lost a piece of their humanity and happiness. Transhumanists claim that becoming posthuman is our destiny. However, we do have a choice in the matter as a society. Although
transhumanism is a possibility, as we give up what makes us human, we give up our happiness.
If the point of life is to be happy, transhumanism is not a viable option. If the point of life is to be
useful then everyone should, logically, be enslaved. The logic of the transhumanist collapses at
the feet of motivation.
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Works Cited
Crichton, Michael. Prey. New York: HarperCollins, 2002.
Gibson, William. Neuromancer. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 1984.
Merkle, Ralph. "Nanotechnology." Nanotechnology. 23 Apr. 2005
<http://www.zyvex.com/nano/>.
More, Max. "Tanshumanism: Towards a Futurist Philosophy." Home page. 23 Apr. 2005
<http://www.maxmore.com/transhum.htm>.
Sandberg, Anders. The Transhuman Web Alliance. 23 Apr. 2005
<http://www.aleph.se/Trans/Alliance/index.html>.
Stephenson, Neal. The Diamond Age. New York: Bantam Books, 1995.
World Transhumanist Association. Assoc. home page. 23 Apr. 2005
<http://www.transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/index/>.