ABSTRACT
Transhumanism tempts us to chase ever more exotic experiences. But where is this likely to lead? Postman titled his 1985 book Amusing Ourselves to Death. Transhumanism updates the goal to entertaining ourselves for all time—a technologically enhanced version of hedonism. Grant, then, the hedonism lying at the basis of most transhumanism, this chapter explores the more serious side of transhumanism, for in some cases its attraction is religious and metaphysical rather than hedonistic in nature. Transhumanism then becomes theology cloaked in the garb of science and technology, or science and technology in the service of metaphysical ends. Rather than simply being an instrument for our amusement, transhumanism becomes a project whose aim is the transcendence of the self. Infinity—immortality—is a red herring: the idea cannot be made sense of. I argue that even radical transformation may be fine if the process is spread out across a long enough period of time. The point turns on the question of pace. Progress is desirable, but let us decelerate the pace of these advances to the point where society can have a better chance of absorbing them. Change should come at a speed that acknowledges society’s adaptive capacities. Attempting to live life at the speed of electrons—a task that we will inevitably fail at—leads to anomie, reaction, nihilism, and the likelihood of massive societal tragedy.
