Although there are some enthusiasts, many people I talk to are deeply ambivalent about the prospects of human enhancement, particularly in its more radical forms. To be sure, this ambivalence might be rooted in human prejudice and bias toward the status quo, but I’m curious to see whether there is any deeper, more persuasive reason to share that unease.
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Posted by
rmk948 on 02/09 at 03:45 PM
Well, an Epicurean might argue that eliminating desires that are hard to fulfill consistently would make for a more tranquil life. For Owens’s three drugs, the second seems to be the most compatible with leading a fulfilled and tranquil life. Reducing the emotional impact of infidelity would minimize potential disappointments. Denying it altogether or eliminating dependence on others have negative consequences of their own.
Posted by
SHaGGGz on 02/10 at 03:50 AM
Asking whether enhancement is (presumably inherently) disenchanting is framing the question entirely incorrectly, as the reaction depends entirely on one’s perception. If one is the kind of person who is disenchanted and disoriented by the Enlightenment and modernity, this reaction will be going into hyperdrive as that civilizational trajectory continues to amplify. Trying to argue logically what is an extraordinarily emotion-laden topic is largely futile.
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