Transhumanism: Impractical and Unethical

Transhumanism is a complex topic that is extremely controversial and debated over, but I will focus on the reasons it should not become a reality in society and why it is unethical. Transhumanism is the belief in advancing the human race to evolve past a natural level of development using science and technology. Transhumanism is unrealistic and immoral because it is impractical, there are chain reactions among humans, and it results in a loss of human identity. 

Transhumanism is impractical because it stresses the issue and unpredictability of attempts to guide living human products of biological evolution. Biologist Stuart Newman recognized how cloning and genetic engineering are disruptive of embryonic development so it would make sense for this to be the same case. If those human engineering examples, along with several others, were disruptive and unsuccessful, why would this be any different? Therefore, it should be unacceptable to carry out this technology because there are countless risks involved and it would be extremely dangerous to humanity.  

Another reason I do not support transhumanism is because there would be several chain effects regarding people’s reactions. For instance, if human bodies are engineered for technological purposes, people are going to want to use that technology to physically alter themselves for selfish means. People will use engineering to look skinnier, change their facial features, look younger, and so many other ways. Once we open the door to transhumanism technology, there are so many other things people will want to take advantage of with the technology.  

Finally, transhumanism is unethical because it results in a huge loss of human identity. Ethicist Bill McKibben claimed it is morally wrong for humans to tamper with and play around with fundamental features of themselves to overcome obstacles. For example, it takes away the meaningfulness of life. If we’re able to manipulate our bodies to overcome any limitation, then carrying out a life would no longer seem meaningful. If this becomes a world where any constraint on physical or cognitive ability could be technologically solved, the idea of existence itself would have no substance. As humans, we learn to appreciate our life most when we are faced with a life-threatening obstacle or health issue, but that gratefulness and meaning behind our survival would disappear if the human threshold was limitless with transhumanism technology.