Ostroeuropa wrote:Natapoc wrote:If using a tool to make calculations or tasks more easy is all transhuminists are talking about then it introduces nothing new. The humans of several thousand years ago were no less "transhuminists" for discovering how to improve upon their tools and indeed some other animal species are also transhuman for discovering tools that better their lives.
If that's all transhumanism is, then a better name for it is: Human.
What new ideas are transhuminists introducing if that's all they believe?
Typically that the human body or mind should be upgraded to allow better tool use or thinking.
An immediate and futuristic example would be a link between the brain and a computer so as to allow convincing VR. Without alterations to the human, this is unlikely to be possible.
Another example would be advocating replacing failing organs as a matter of policy instead of it being one of the options.
As soon as the biological heart starts to fail, it should be the prefered action that it be replaced, instead of a big waiting list and cardiotherapy being the main option
Now you're starting to get past all the rationalizations and PR and get into the core of what transhumanism is really about. What new things it brings to the table.
It's not about any technology or tool that makes our lives more easy. That's been happening since before humans even existed as a species. What transhumanism is really about is using technology to fundamentally alter the way the human brain and body works in a way that can subjectively be called "improvement"
Otherwise transhumanism has no meaning.
I'm not saying that's bad or good. All I'm saying is all the transhuminists I've read have way more faith in the advancement of technology then is warranted by sound science at this time.
I mean, someone just told me that it was a simple refinement in eeg technology to understanding how thoughts work. Do you see the problem?
It's like saying I can understand how your digestive system works as a perfectly understood system by means of an anal thermometer.