Transhumanism as a secular faith?

Transhumanism can be understood in a number of ways. Three major approaches have been as a field of psychology (Koltko-Rivera 1998: 76), as a philosophical and cultural response to the Enlightenment, or as a technoscientific approach to the future of human capabilities (Tirosh-Samuelson 2012: 715). These are broad categories and each approach the question of religion and transcendence in different ways. Further, they each conceptualise differently what it is to be human and the role technology may play in future human development. Much of the present research in the field of Transhumanism is developed in either of the latter two fields. Tirosh-Samuelson (2012) focuses on the distinctions between philosophical and technoscientific approach, and notes that while both approaches 'envision the eventual obsolescence of the human species' (715), they hold significantly different philosophical perspectives. The philosophical / cultural approach within transhumanism is critical of the Enlightenment and is generally secularist. In contrast, those advocating technoscientific approach view themselves as a continuation of Enlightenment thinking and maintain a belief in human reason and capacity to evolve. Further, they use religious motifs to illustrate their worldview, and believe they are working toward enabling human transcendence (Tirosh-Samuelson 2012: 715-16). 

As I have written before, both approaches are problematic. However, Tirosh-Samuelson (2012) acknowledges these issues (718), before asking whether these approaches can be considered religious (721). He finds that the technoscientific approach in particular has religious dimensions associated with the faith in Kurzweil's theory of a singularity (2012: 723) as well as the desire for humans to, through technology, transcend the flesh in cosmic self-realisation (726). 

However, I am left to wonder, even as a fan of video games and science fiction, two fields that broadly use the ideas and concepts of transhumanism, are these worlds desirable? And what happens to not only those humans left behind in these worlds, but the Earth itself, its flora, fauna, and eco-systems? To privilege scientific knowledge over other forms of knowledge to such an extent that the essence of nature is lost would be a mistake. 


Reference

Tirosh-Samuelson, Hava. 2012. 'Transhumanism as a Secularist Faith'. Zygon, 47(4): 710-734.