Chimeras and Transhumanism

What exactly is transhumanism? According to Wikipedia:

Transhumanism (sometimes symbolized by >H or H+) is an international intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of new sciences and technologies to enhance human mental and physical abilities and aptitudes, and ameliorate what it regards as undesirable and unnecessary aspects of the human condition, such as stupidity, suffering, disease, aging and involuntary death.

There are different kinds of transhumanism(TH), some of which are quite controversial. One area of TH research that has drawn extreme resistance from some areas of the population, is that of the chimera. A chimera, is a cross between a human, and an animal. This kind of research is legal, and has been going on for some time now. From my understanding, there are those ready to begin implanting chimera fetuses into surrogate hosts. This in my opinion, is a misuse of power.

In the case of the chimera, those being produced, have little choice in what they will become. Lawyers, scientists, and those from various areas relating to transhumanism, have organized to help form future laws governing a society of transhumanist. The idea that we can control human behavior through law is ludicrous, as we can see by our current laws. The idea that we can govern how people will treat future mutants, is equally as redundant, as the idea we can govern people’s prejudices against gays, women, and other races.

It is true, that all transhumanist, seek to evolve themselves beyond the state of ‘human’, but I believe that this must be the choice of the individual. If a person wants to be the subject of a TH experiment, so be it, but to create transhumanistic creatures who have no choice in the matter, is just a wrongness.

I have had two cats I experimented on, with the goal of evolving them beyond their animal instincts and abilities. It was something I will not repeat again. One of the cats committed suicide, as she could not handle being conscious, in the body of an animal. She tried to understand how we bipeds did what we did, and attempted to mimic our actions, but she of course, was unable to.

Though Chimeras may very well be more capable than a household cat, I suspect that consciousness may still be too much to handle, in an evolving animal. The human side of these animals, would probably even be more devastated, understanding the depth of their differences from others in society. An example of possible issues with Chimeras, can be found in the anime series, Full Metal Alchemist.

Rather than creating chimeras from newborns, it may be possible to mutate our already existing structures. This would be a far more ethical choice, to experiment on those who have the desire to be transhuman. A great portion of transhumanist, merely find ways to extend and alter their own structures. Body modification, supplements, drugs, exercise, health practices, etc., are common methods of the transhumanist.

Before I had ever heard of the term ‘transhumanism’, I had begun doing experiments in life extension, physical enhancement, and the stimulation of higher abilities. I have met with a great deal of success thus far, but recently have found someone to aid me in my research. The prospect of going beyond our current limitations as humans, is incredibly fascinating to me. I believe, as many have come to believe, that we are a part of the evolutionary process, and not merely it’s victim.

TH may be a part of our very survival, and not only a way to achieve evolutionary progression. Most people do not even realize to what degree they have already mutated themselves. We talk about sci-fi futuristic visions of mutants, such as in the comic X-Men, and we believe this to be a fantasy. Within only a few generations of chemical bombardment on a daily basis, we have already become a world of mutants. The majority of current mutations are negative, and causing devolution, rather than an evolving upwards process toward our potential. Through the conscious act of TH experiments, we may be able to not only save our species from extinction, but evolve us to a greater state of being.

Some transhumanist believe that we can evolve ourselves to states as powerful as those seen in X-men, and this is also a concern for those with a humanistic viewpoint. How do normal humans live side by side with those who have enhanced abilities?

As a child, my family did a lot of camping in the desert. My father would do a sweep of our area, and kill any rattle snakes within a certain radius of our campsite. His reasoning was to protect me, a child of about three. This kind of logic is the same as that which has killed off a vast amount of predatory creatures in our world. It can be dangerous, therefore we should get rid of it, before it may get rid of us.

This is a very ‘human’ idea. No other creature in nature has this perspective. Are we to not evolve ourselves because we may intimidate others, and where they are currently at in their evolutionary state? Throughout history people were killed for having supernatural powers or unusual abilities, for fear that these people ‘could’ be a potential threat. Are we to forever follow in the fearful steps of our ancestors, or move forward toward a greater vision of possibility?

For more information on TH, check out these links:

• Nick Bostrom’s Home Page
• Wikipedia definition of transhumanism
• World Transhumanist Association

What do you think? Do you think we should aid in our own evolutionary process, or leave it up to nature? What are the pros and cons in this situation, and how can we resolve possible issues?

[tags]transhumanism, mutants, life extension, health, chimera, x-men, full metal alchemist, alchemy, biology, futurists, science, evolution, shadowmyth, lockergnome [/tags]