Transhumanism is for Everybody
One common concern I hear from friends who are resistant to transhumanism is they don’t feel “smart enough” for transhumanism. Transhumanism can sometimes feel intimidating, inaccessible, or otherworldly. While it’s understandable why someone might feel this way, I want to briefly dispel the myth that transhumanism is reserved exclusively for intellectuals with a PhD in quantum mechanics.
Transhumanist work is everyone’s work. It truly is. Transhumanist work means using our technology to make tomorrow better than yesterday. That may seem a little simplistic, but I define transhumanism simplistically and broadly for a reason: I want everyone thinking of themself as a transhumanist. Arbitrary lines drawn to distinguish what does or doesn’t count as transhumanist work are sometimes unhelpful in making transhumanism accessible to the masses. If transhumanist work can only be accomplished by neuroscientists, philosophers, technologist, physicians, academics, or millionaires, what does transhumanism mean for everyone else? Suggesting transhumanist work is exclusive work often alienates the sincere desires of those wanting to contribute to the transhumanist project.
The good news is you’re likely already a transhumanist without even knowing it. To be human is to be transhuman. We all use technology in our lives and so the question shouldn’t be, is your work transhumanist or not? The question is, how are you using your technology and skills to make tomorrow better than yesterday? How are you, as a transhumanist and an empowered agent of change, using your technology to improve humanity? You’re already a transhumanist, so what kind of future do you want to build?
We are living in a pandemic and never before has our success or demise as a species been so dependent on our ability to cooperate and use our technology in productive and pro-social ways. Our success depends on all of us, not only the frontline workers for whom I am extremely grateful for, but also a vast network of concerned citizens doing their best to make life worth living. That’s essentially what’s at the heart of transhumanism―a love of life―a life so lovely and full of meaning that we want to extend life indefinitely.
We all have different skills and talents and those talents are useful. Our differences are something to be celebrated as valuable assets to the transhumanist project. Transhumanism is most certainly filled with biologists, doctors, inventors, technologists, computer scientists, and philosophers, but it’s so much more than that because it includes each and every one of you. It includes artists, painters, writers, poets, musicians, and dancers. It includes nurses, therapists, caretakers, clergy, and families. It includes atheists, theists, myths, fiction, facts, data, and legends . It includes architects, hairstylists, designers, teachers, project managers, farmers, economists, and chefs. Essentially, transhumanism includes anyone interested in making the world a better place with our technology, and you are certainly “smart enough” to be a part of it.
