Full support. David Pearce posted here not that long ago:

https://thephilosophyforum.com/categories/35/david-pearce

I like David Pearce. I'm not quite drunk on the Kool-aid, and I'd argue with some of the metaphysical baggage, but the whole project of transcending the Darwinian shitshow is spectacular. The idea that we could and should grab ourselves by the code and edit ourselves is daring. Then we fix nature, pluck out God's evil streak. Promethean, Satanic, sci-fi, naive, all sorts of things. Other solutions pale in comparison, while being more plausible, given who we are now (trans-humanism is way too secular for most people, I think.)

Bret, your website doesn't come up.

I am currently rebuilding my website. It will be published there, but for now there isn't much to look at.

Unsupportive.

I think it's science fiction. I think the goals are noble, but that it amounts essentially to a religion, wildly exaggerating what we can do with our knowledge and capacity of science.

But would not mind being proved wrong.

I think it's science fiction. I think the goals are noble, but that it amounts essentially to a religion, wildly exaggerating what we can do with our knowledge and capacity of science. — Manuel

:up:

Transhumanism tends to lack any understanding of what I can't think to call properly other than "the human condition". We're flawed, and technology won't fix our flaws.

It's naive and arrogant.

Look, people have this habit of trying to fix things that they don't understand or have any good reason to be messing around with. There's this notion, which seems to be predominantly expressed by privileged white people, that because a problem seemingly exists, this means it's their "our" job to solve it. Yes, the human species - the same species that has been the most destructive in the history of earth - will suddenly, inexplicably, do a one-eighty and not just undo everything we messed up, but make right everything that we deem to have been made wrong from the very beginning. Because fuck yeah, we can do it! - we've never done it in the past, but goddammit I'm sure we'll do it right this time!

Oh how the giraffes suffer, yes it's our duty to help them, rah-rah-rah. Pass the lube, my dick is getting dry.

Yes, the human species - the same species that has been the most destructive in the history of earth - will suddenly, inexplicably, do a one-eighty and not just undo everything we messed up, but make right everything that we deem to have been made wrong from the very beginning. — darthbarracuda

Someone actually thinks that?

THs do, apparently

Like myself and others have alluded to on the Guest Speaker thread about transhumanism, it seems more of a Pandora's Box than this "panacea of the gods" proponents of it market it as. Basically, to me and I'm sure many others it just seems like there's much more room for things to go wrong/be abused and harm humanity than otherwise.

Aside from the immediate answers that are best conveyed as questions ie. "Who wants to live forever anyway?" or "Yeah what happens if you get trapped in a cave or something. Would you rather starve to death in a few weeks or live in darkness for the next few hundred years?" or what about "Yeah what if a political rival implants you with a 'transhuman' device that amplifies pain and prolongs your life to withstand amounts of torture.that would make a god jealous?" All these very rational concerns aside.. what would be the point? It all leads to one place, which is a simulated reality that is not organic in nature. All transhumanist roads lead to "uploading" oneself and discarding (or at least not being around to prevent discarding) the human body, which is a lie, you'll think it's you, but it's really not. And people will be deceived by this and run to it in droves.

Edit: We already have our feet wet so to speak as far as more broader definitions of transhumanism. Pacemakers, prosthetics, "life extending" supplements, etc.

Edit 2: Also, fun fact. Some religious types may oppose it due to eerie similarities in popular religious texts, one being: "Men will seek death and will not find it", kinda like what I was saying. It takes a bit of thought, and even than is an uncomfortable if not fleeting truth, but sometimes, death is a blessing not a curse. Not saying death is good, I don't want to, nor would I wish that on pretty much anyone, but the fact we're mortal and can die is what is good.. for reasons I've explained. Wisdom of the gods, don't you know.

Other.

As proposed in the main, Transhumanism is (still) a philosophically naive project which is too scientistic and more technocratic than libertarian in the name of "the abolition of all suffering". Here's a quote of an objection I had raised months ago (follow the link in my handle below for the response and further discussion).

↪David Pearce [It] seems to me, the ethical problem remains: if 'negative affects' are eliminated by "radical hedonic uplift", then disincentives for (i.e. intrinsic negative feedbacks of) antisocial and immoral behaviors will be, effectively, eliminated as well. How will this not produce catastrophic consequences? – which would be unintentionally yet foreseeably 'harmful' and, therefore, ought to be avoided, no? — 180 Proof

:chin:

:ok:

Pretty much.

Transhumanism may be a viable method to sell books and crap to other daydreamers and make some money, but that’s about the extent of its value.

Funny straw man here. Transhumanism isn't only about hedonism.

Solving death has always concerned me. 70 years of life ain't enough for me.

I compare transhumanism to buddhism. Both are on the same page - abolition of suffering - but their methodologies are poles apart - buddhism is about remodeling the mind to deal with the issue and transhumanism aims to solve the problem by modifying the body.

Anyone who's acquainted with buddhism will make the connection. I'd even go so far as to say that transhumanism is buddhism adapted to science in general and technology in particular. If buddhism makes sense, it does, transhumanism does too.

Read Brave New World.

I'm not quite drunk on the Kool-aid, — Zugzwang

Maybe you don't know this. The correct saying is "I haven't drunk the Kool-aid." It refers to the People's Temple cult who all drank poisoned Kool-Aid given them by their guru. "Drinking the Kool-aid" means buying in to a deluded way of thinking.

The core of Buddhism is about letting go. Transhumanism seems to be about grasping, in the form of daydreaming.

It refers to the People's Temple cult who all drank poisoned Kool-Aid given them by their guru. — T Clark

And there was me thinking it referred to the Cool-Aid Acid Test.

What is your opinion of Transhumanism? — Bret Bernhoft

A proposal for a new political-ideological method of submission to the species, through hope superimposed on technology.

I'm totally unsupportive of it.

Technology is a means, not an end.

I was a bit startled when a guest speaker on this site who was a transhumanist, David Pearce, spoke of people having head replacements. Also, we have a struggle for resources as it is and if people just lived and lived there would just be too many people on the planet. So, I don't support transhumanism, and if new heads are possible while I am still alive I won't be queuing up for one.

And there was me thinking it referred to the Cool-Aid Acid Test. — unenlightened

If you're interested, look up "People's Temple" and "Georgetown."

Alas I know that story too.

And there was me thinking it referred to the Cool-Aid Acid Test. — unenlightened

I don't think you can pass a test on acid...

:up:

'Eliminating' the fear of death (however that's done) is a fundamental aspect of Epicurean hedonism (aponia –> ataraxia); basically, transhumanism is a speculative technological apotheosis of the venerable Tetrapharmakos.

I agree. So, what's wrong with living longer?

Nothing. I never said there was anything "wrong" with longevity (i.e. healthy life-extension). I've discussed the plausability of it (insofar as I understand that biophysical laws do not prohibit it), speculated on methods in principle and expressed my preference for living an arbitrarily long life whereby death is optional.

The core of Buddhism is about letting go. Transhumanism seems to be about grasping, in the form of daydreaming. — praxis

You have no idea about the impact dreams and daydreams have had on the world.

Also, mind remodeling isn't the same as a body makeover.