“Transhumanism. The world’s most dangerous idea”
(Francis Fukayama). Is it?

Transhumanism ‘is a loosely defined movement that has developed gradually over the past two decades’ (2003: 493); it can be viewed as a move away from and subsequent outgrowth of traditional religious values and an embrace of more scientific ones. The concept behind the term is that, as humans we have the ability to augment not only ourselves, but also the world around us. As Joshua Raulerson describes it ‘a movement organised around the pursuit of technological interventions that will directly facilitate the transformation of humans into posthumans’ (2013: 31). Equally, it is also to expand our knowledge, to enhance our lives for comfort, ease and functionality. …show more content…
Many see the development in a positive light, whereas some technologies create heated debate. A few of these include advances in genetic engineering such as the creation of humans with specific characteristics, as well the ability to genetically alter DNA to eradicate disease and disability before it has time to manifest. Usually discussions such as these are met with ethical and religious opposition. Developing sciences such as Artificial intelligence, and Nano technology are also rife with fear that the technology will surpass humans and gain a consciousness straight out of a science fiction tale. Others see it as the next logical step in our development as humans, the next stage of evolution. Many transhumanism writers and theorists have been influenced by seminal works of science fiction where many of the ideas have stemmed from or been influenced by; both supporters and opposition cite major works such as ‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley (1932), ‘1984’ by George Orwell (1949) as well as authors such as William Gibson and Arthur C. Clarke in the basis of their …show more content…
Firstly bioethicists such as Francis Fukuyama meet the idea of transhumanism with a great deal of scepticism. Fukuyama is a Professor of International Political Economy at John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and member of the now defunct President’s Council on Bioethics under George W. Bush’s Presidency from 2001-2004. When asked by the Editors of Foreign Policy for the September/October 2004 edition of the magazine, what idea, if embraced, would pose the greatest threat to the welfare of humanity?’ Fukuyama replied ‘Transhumanism’. Continuing to describe it as ‘a strange liberation movement’ whose campaigners want nothing more than to ‘liberate the human race from its biological constraints’ (2004). Fukuyama however sees this as an undesirable future, one, which he describes as ‘coming at frightful moral cost’. He cites Aldous Huxley’s 1932 Novel Brave New World, stating that while there appears to be an ideal world free from disease, social conflict and mental illness, ‘where there is even a government ministry in place to assure that the time between desire and satisfaction is kept to a minimum’, it is in fact far from ideal in Fukuyama’s eyes. He refers to the