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Posted on 11/25/2012 3:47:46 PM PST by NYer
There is a dangerous philosophy emerging in our fast-paced, technology-driven world of which most people are totally unaware. And yet, when Francis Fukuyama, economist at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, was asked what idea posed the "greatest threat to the welfare of humanity," his answer was this philosophy.
And yet I'm positive most Catholics have never heard of it. Catholics certainly do not realize that they are being fed a steady diet of images in popular media that play right to the more seductive aspects of this ideology.
What is it? It is transhumanism. "What is that?" you ask. Transhumanism is a philosophy that seeks to use technology to surpass treating or preventing disease and use it to enhance otherwise healthy humans beyond natural capabilities.
Transhumanism sees technology as a way to direct the evolution of humanity into something other than human: "transhuman" meaning "beyond" human.
To the transhumanist, medical advances like drugs, artificial limbs and genetic engineering are tools, not just to heal the sick and injured, but to create a technological utopia where you can be "beyond" human.
Transhumanists envision a world where you can leave your ignorant, weak existence behind and enhance your way to being supersmart, superstrong, superhappy, basically superhuman. They desire to replace perfectly healthy eyes and limbs with artificial ones or genetically modify themselves or their offspring to be unnaturally strong with unheard-of IQs or merge their minds with artificial intelligence.
Their goal is to create a new species of "post-humans," where human limitations, including death, are a thing of the past.
Ray Kurzweil, in his book The Singularity Is Near, widely accepted as pivotal in transhumanist ideology, predicts we will become so intimate with our technology that we will not be content to simply use cellphones and computers.
(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...
This reminds me of the amputee Olympic athlete from South Africa who competed with non-disabled athletes. That struck me as strange, especially since the Para Olympics immediately followed.
Transhumanism is the pinnacle of Modernist arrogance.
“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9
This is Genesis Chapter 6 all over again, and will bring the same result,
Scary but a good read (you will recognize a number of current players among the characters. Yep, Big Sis, I'm looking at you.)
“and there is no new thing under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9”
I wonder how the author of that line would feel about modern semiconductor technology... ;-)
Uh huh. I posted on transhumanism last week. Yep it’s something under the radar for most people. But it is coming down the pike. Count on it. The grandkids will be grappling with this one. Well at least if there is enough of an economy left to fund such projects when they reach adulthood.
This is the movement I was writing about in my post. It is the movement toward humanity being able to participate in our own evolution. It just makes me more aware than ever that the world is going to change beyond anything I can imagine. I’ll be dead and forgotten and the world will go on. It’s really all out of our hands beyond two or three generations.
In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
You will find.....
(Something something something....)
In the year 9510
Aint gonna be no women
Won’t be no men
Get your sons
Get your daughters too
From the bottom of a long black tube!
Whoa!Whoa!
This is another area in which Leftism seems to contradict itself. If it truly values "authenticity" and "traditional cultures" that are "at one with the earth and the seasons" then logically it should regard transhumanism as an abomination. But it does not--just as its love for "indigenous peoples" and "rejection" of western civilization does not prevent it basing its entire outlook on the writings of a few dead white European males.
A rule of thumb about natural selection is that when animals give birth to a child that is different, their first inclination is to kill it. The bottom line is that as a species, they are trying to prevent being supplanted by a better version.
And that’s the rule of thumb, that when a better competitor emerges, the old ones become extinct.
There is only one documented example of superior human, who as it turned out, were not so superior after all.
Five boys born to a family, called the “hedgehog men” because the skin from knees to navel was rough and course, like the skin of a hedgehog. Compared to the other men of their time they were superior. Smarter, faster, stronger, healthier. But, as it turned out, with a fatal flaw.
They could not mate. They would shred her skin most painfully had they tried. So they all died as bachelors.
So what of the transhumanists? I’m not holding my breath.
Certainly there are some gimmicks that can be done, such as the men who have had powerful magnets implanted under the skin of their fingers, who with practice can now detect magnetic fields. Triple whoopee.
Hmm . .yeah, if Solomon had a copy of what we have today, he might even quote Daniel at it *smile*
“. .even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4
Myself, I think our technology is a poor excuse for how this was accomplished in the past, and for which the world was drowned for those attempting it,
Satan is restrained now, but wont always be, so maybe he needs our all to eager God given techno-inspired ability to manipulate the physical world for him, until he can again,
Very interesting. I’m not sure the Church would object to prolonging life, if the process wasn’t derived from things that are sinful. Perhaps that isn’t too likely as things stand now, but I’m not sure ‘taking your anti-geriatric medicine’ would be intrinsically evil, if it ever comes to that point. Of course things like changing the human form, brain transplants into humans/animals/engineered forms/robots, perfect sex change, cloning, downloading yourself into a computer, body banks with the parts of executed humans would probably be in most circumstances.
Perfect synthetic organs, a serum to reverse old age, something to increase intelligence might not be. I don’t know about cloned singular organs (with no person).
I could be wrong. What does everybody think? I am a sci-fi fan and I often wonder what would be wrong or not wrong and why in a Christian sense. I see the dangers and evils of the “haves and have-nots” applying to both intrinsic sinful derived procedures and things that wouldn’t be, but it seems to me we have that now for expensive life-prolonging procedures. It’s not a sin as far as I know to get a heart transplant while someone else can’t get one, as far as I know. As long as it isn’t derived from sinful means.
Freegards, thanks for all the pings on FR
Actually we are going to have to find a way to live forever, otherwise when we die we will all vote DEMOCRAT!!!!
The sad thing is some of the tech behind trans-humanism could end the brutality of abortion...
Imagine instead of getting the baby sucked out an killed the pre-born baby could be transferred into an artificial womb and allowed to mature to a full 9 months!!!!
Of course the libs would never see it used in that way!!!
Technology isn’t evil, it is just how it is used that is, and the leftists have us beat on this so far...
Speaking scifi, the movie “Forbidden Planet” is the most fitting here, in which an advanced civilization freed themselves from the need to use their bodies, and instead they could make things by thinking, by using the output of an incredibly powerful nuclear reactor (if i recall).
However, they could free not themselves from their version of the Adamic nature, so that a grudge against another was translated into murder while they were sleeping, the “monster from the ID” tapping into the same power used for constructive purposes.
“But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. “ (Galatians 5:15)
What is it? It is transhumanism. "What is that?" you ask. Transhumanism is a philosophy that seeks to use technology to surpass treating or preventing disease and use it to enhance otherwise healthy humans beyond natural capabilities.
Related threads:
Exploring the New God Argument by the Mormon Transhuman Association
Calling All Transhumanists [The Singularity is not yet here, but its annual conference is]
Superhuman: The Uncharted Territory of Transhumanism
Visions of man: Huxley vs. Dante
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