My Life: Weirder Beliefs Than Religion.

Hello, my names is Joseph Barder, and I'm a transhumanist.

Is that right? Let me check Wikipedia, to make sure there's not an obscure variant definition or misinterpretation here...

Okay, yeah, that's about right. The short version of what I believe in is that I think humans should and/or will eventually make themselves into something more than human. In other words, some combination of cybernetics and bio-engineering will become technologically viable. Another alternative is more digital, though, similar to movies like the Matrix. Honestly, though, I'm not as enthused about that possibility. I think one of the concerns I have about the future is that technology will not only let us do without the labor and difficulties of life, it will make life's benefits seemingly redundant, and I like the concept of having a semi-permanent body, even if it is a malleable one. But that sort of futuristic discussion is for yet another blog, even if I'm not sure if it counts as a life, rant, inspiration, or game idea.

No, I think the basic minimum for this concept is simple alterations of the body, instead of downloading ourselves into a new system entirely. My reasons are pretty numerous, so let's start with the easy ones. For starters, there are the obvious humanitarian benefits; immunity to diseases, lack of genetic deformities, that sort of thing. And, on a less mature note, there's the obvious appeal for, well, superpower-related reasons. Who hasn't wanted to leap tall buildings in a single bound? Or run as fast as a car? Or fly? Of course, this reason is less viable for the spread of worldwide transhumanism, since then everybody could do it, or more likely the really "fun" changes would be regulated by the government. My best bet in getting these selfish reasons to work is being in on the ground floor, so I get the superhero fantasies out before the whole thing gets as boring as, say, airbags.

But it's not just about fantasies and basic human treatments. I believe in transhumanism because I believe in order and advancement in general. I believe that, like all limits to our intellect and our capacities, the limits of our bodies is meant to be understood and surpassed. And, even more importantly, there is the matter of identity. As sentient beings with the capacity for identity, we strive to be known, to be unique, to be something special. That means being able to define ourselves on our terms. We can do this with our careers, our interests, and our talents, but in a planet of six billion, with those numbers likely to grow exponentially in the future if advances in terraforming and space travel also develop, that often is not enough. Defining our appearances is a primal urge for people, leading to everything from fashion to body modification surgery. Transhumanism is just the next step of that goal.

Of course, there are pitfalls. There is the "Gattica" scenario, for example. That is, if human alteration makes those affected too good, and the result is not universal, won't that lead to a class division greater than any created by simple politics and economy? This is a risk, and one that has concerned me. But I believe it's a short-term problem; with time, technology will catch up until alterations can be done at any point in one's life. Other risks include the usual "bio-engineered/cyborg soldiers go out of control and turn evil" scenario. I'm less concerned about that one. Besides, any advancement in transhumanism will be met by advancements in weapon technology and AI. Controlling technology is a concern at every point, not just this one.

A more sociological concern is that, well, for civilization to advance, people need to die. Not only is mortality a major realization in our psychological development, but it makes the processing of new ideas faster. Imagine trying to introduce new ideas about society in a culture where there are still millions of people still alive from when slavery was acceptable, and they still vote. Now imagine them involved in a society where vast numbers of people are engineering themselves into inhuman forms. The outcry would surpass even what we experienced in the past five decades of race, gender, and sexual conflict.

My solution, as seen in some of my video game ideas and to be elaborated there, is to use space travel in concordance with societal development. In other words, the communities of the future won't be based on nationality, but on archetypal idealism (or simple nostalgia.) Colonies will develop based solely on what people of that community consider the idea community, whether that community was medieval Europe, 1950s suburban America, or something out of a fantasy novel. Now, obviously all those communities would have some concessions towards modern ethics (good luck to get enough people together to re-support feudalism,) and modern medicine and education would be commonplace, along with inter-community travel and communication, but the general feel of each place will be just what its people want. It will be the ultimate fulfillment of self, and who wouldn't want that?