Transhumanism: A Retrospective

As biotechnological research furthers its exploration and measurement of the human body’s capabilities, the concept of Transhumanism becomes a more realistic prospect. Going beyond science’s commitment to saving lives and treating debilitating disease, Transhuamnism encourages the use of emerging technologies and research to annihilate these human “burdens” and propel the body and mind into an idealized state of mastery. There are efforts being made in a variety of fields to combat the limitations of the human condition. Through physical, genetic, cosmetic, and cognitive enhancement, we may one day reach goal of total body and mind manipulation, dissolving any expectation for the “average man.” While the science is young and realistic expectations for the Transhuman movement remain unclear, research continues to advance. The only way to acclimate society to these novel ideas is to reevaluate the essence of the human condition and what it means to a contemporary world inundated with fast paced, digital technologies. Profound philosophical and moral quandaries, inextricably woven into the Transhuman theory, must eventually inform the political agenda regarding healthcare and reform.

Current scientific developments present new possibilities for the future of physical enhancement allowing for the direct control of weight, height, and even muscle growth. Gone are the days of long arduous lifestyle changes; these treatments promise swift results and little demand from the individual undergoing them. Researchers have discovered gene delivery strategies that improve muscle mass and function for both cosmetic reasons and patients with degenerative muscle disorders. Potentially impactful research includes genetic alterations that enable mice to convert fat into carbon dioxide and remain lean while eating the equivalent of a fast-food diet as well as more established technologies such as growth hormones that allow us today to alter an individual’s height with increasing safety and consistency.
Despite their benefits, these treatments place a heavy bioethical and financial burden on our society related to the potential of these technologies to redefine the medical and social norms of our society, effectively leading to the medicalization of the body, re-setting medical standards for physical characteristics such as height and weight. Considering this power, it becomes even more important to question who is eligible for these treatments under proper medical definitions. Our healthcare system today defines disease as the presence of abnormality, but characteristics such as height are increasingly manipulated to satisfy social standards as well as pharmaceutical and medical profits, increasing the financial burden on our healthcare infrastructure.
There are also a host of bioethical problems surrounding such technologies. As Lennard Davis points out when patient “are treated they are not treated as individuals but as instantiations of norms. A good deal of the energy of being alive becomes devoted to this imperative to conform physically." (Bending over Backwards: Disability, Dismodernism and Other Difficult Positions. New York: New York University Press, 2002, pp. 115-116). The solution rests in coming up with sustainable definitions of disability that build healthy foundations for tomorrow's medical and cultural norms, promote social acceptance of a wide range of characteristics, serve as distinct biological entities and are not representative of the interests of physicians, researchers, and policy makers in the biomedical enterprise.

Not unlike physical enhancement, recent advances in technology include the development of drugs and medical devices that focus on “lifestyle” improvement and “wellness.” This expansion, which umbrellas beauty and cosmetic enhancement, has, to some extent, stigmatized the dermatology/plastic surgery profession as superficial and crude. While shows such as Dr 90210 and Extreme Makeover portray the desire for double Ds and Jolie lips as berated clichés, they also show the extent to which we are offering up our identity and physical appearances to science. The body is now deemed perfectible: sooner or later we may well be able to look like whoever or whatever we wish, diluting any original sense of self. For instance, who do face transplant patients see when they look in the mirror? Themselves, the donor, or a sort of aesthetic pastiche of both? Furthermore, as competition within the industry increases, prices will decrease (For example Dysport vs Botox), and the public preference for the makeup aisle may shift to more permanent, reliable treatments at the Doctor’s office.


Thornier bioethical issues arise with regards to the science of designer babies concerning morality, autonomy, the financial barriers to the use of this science that foster inequality and its use for perfection of physical characteristics rather than the treatment of congenital defects. These lines are blurred, and embryonic manipulation must be strictly regulated. Stringent legislature may prevent the use of this technology for purposes not beneficial to society at large, but may impede scientific progress.
Lastly, cognitive enhancement, also termed neuro-enhancement, is a branch of Transhumanism that focuses on improving the functions of the brain. Like the field of neuroscience, cognitive enhancement is a burgeoning field, but it lags behind other more established enhancement sciences. Examples include the creation and deletion of memory in mice; an electrode capable of targeting individual neurons, taking us one step closer to mechanical brain implants. Although the cutting edge of cognitive enhancement seems somewhat irrelevant to the current healthcare debates, the preexisting widely used cognitive enchantment technologies are just precursors to the revolutionary future of cognitive enhancement.
The current trend in cognitive enhancement is the use of nootropics, or “smart drugs”, to increase the brain’s functions such as memory, motivation, intelligence, and concentration. These are mostly the off label or recreational use of prescriptions intended for other purposes. These drugs are currently in a legal grey area; the majorities of the users are either prescribed by a lenient doctor or procure the drugs from a second hand market. The FDA states that all drugs must target a specific disease, but grants the doctors the right to prescribe off label. This slightly inhibits research into cognitive enhancement, but developments in enhancement continue to be an (arguably) positive externality of research into neurological impairments like Alzheimer’s, Post Traumatic Stress disorder, and severe depression. Treatments for these diseases often have enhancing effects to healthy user, but companies are still kept in check not to develop drugs solely for this purpose. Eventually the amount of biotechnology in cognitive enhancement will be too vast to tuck into grey areas and loopholes, and the FDA will have to address the safety and production of treatments whose sole purpose is enhancement. Along with this, another debate rages around the potential consequences of these enhancements. Some fear an unfair advantage to the users, and others fear the advantage is so beneficial workplaces will force workers to use them to increase productivity. With the spread of nootropics and the increased understandings of the mechanics of the mind, cognitive enhancement is no longer a topic the government can ignore and legislation must be passed to monitor their safety and potential.

The body and mind are quickly becoming part of a medicalized industry ready to satiate any insufficiency with a prescription pill or lunchtime laser treatment. Biotechnological advancements present us with a plethora of new and exciting possibilities for altering and improving the way the body looks and performs. However along with these come serious debates over what the scientific exploration of the body means to our progress. The further we depart from an appreciation of nature, and the more we merge with the indestructible machine, the less we depend on mental diligence and self-motivation, hallmarks of the human condition. Laying parallel, and paradoxical, to this drive for Transhuman superiority is nostalgic rejection. Discourses encouraging harmony with the land, balance between the mind and body and chemical detox dismiss the exploitation of industry as destructive and unnecessary. While society will never regress from this point of technological prowess, there must always remain a grounding dialogue with our natural roots. Humans are inescapably creatures of becoming, growth, and change. In order to curtail an apocalyptic perception of Transhumanism, new scientific advancements will hopefully promote new avenues of thought and debate and new industry specialties, not only defining a new relationship between society and the drug industry, but also challenging present notions of the body and the self.