Recently, ethicist and lawyer Wesley J.Smith expressed the view at Mind Matters that
The transhumanist movement swoons over increasing intelligence. If I had to choose between increasing the intelligence of the human race versus enhancing our capacity to love, the human race would be far better off embracing the latter than the former. There is no brain implant for that. More.
Historian Richard Weikart responds, writing to us here,
Actually, some segments of the transhumanist movement, such as Oxford philosopher Julian Savulescu, would largely agree that the “capacity to love” should be preferred to increasing intelligence. As I explain in detail in the last chapter of my book, The Death of Humanity: And the Case for Life, Savulescu argues that increasing human intelligence without also using what he calls “moral enhancement” could be disastrous. However, Savulescu disagrees with Wesley Smith by arguing that morality is biologically ingrained, and thus he thinks that we can use biological methods (primarily genetic engineering and hormone therapies) to improve human morality.
Yes. Re Savulescu, See, for example, “Prof: We Have A ‘Moral Obligation To Select Ethically Better Children’ Through Genetic Screening” Well, eugenics, “the best organized philanthropic project of all time” is back, having failed to learn a thing. And “Morals: Some Now Claim That The Government Fixing Our Brains Is The Only Solution”
That would appear to make transhumanism an enemy of free will and of freedom generally. But give them credit for being honest about it.
Note: Weikart’s two recent books are The Death of Humanity And the Case for Life : And the Case for Life (2016) and Hitler’s Religion: The twisted beliefs that drove the Reich: The Twisted Beliefs That Drove the Third Reich (2016)
See also: Wesley J.Smith: Transhumanists don’t seem much interested in such real improvements in the human condition. They want quick, easy technological fixes
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