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Transhumanism in a time of corona by Claire Denham-Dyson
TRANSHUMANISM IN A TIME OF CORONA
BY CLAIRE DENHAM-DYSON
You may have never heard of the term ‘transhumanism’, but you’ve encountered the philosophy daily through our entertainment, health and beauty industries.
Performance-enhancing steroids in sport, hip and knee replacements for elderly or the infirm, and plain old Bluetooth earphones are just some of the early transhumanist developments that we see used in everyday life. Transhumanism is a philosophical concept that advocates for the development of people and human evolution using technologies that enhance physiological and intellectual capacity. All those science fiction movies that reference improving people through nano and biotechnology emerged from the movement of trans and posthumanism, which originated from British philosopher Max More. Transhumanism takes the ability to create ourselves and others to the extreme, exploring this through genetic engineering and other performanceenhancing interventions. Veiled in advertising tropes, stereotypes, and efforts to mediate the fear around our mortality, westernised societies have been consuming ideologies related to transhumanism since the early 1960s. Today, we are living through a global pandemic, where shifting local and international dynamics unravel before our eyes and through our screens. More than ever, we are being exposed to interventions and advice around health, wellness, sickness and the promotion of self-care to become both better people and less vulnerable communities. Vaccines, life-saving treatments and even masks could be considered transhuman in their design. My hunch is that viruses such as corona, and an increasing focus on human rights and quality of life, will push conversations around transhumanism to centre stage. We are already talking about things like genetic engineering – not just on our TV screens – but in our homes and our workplaces. The beauty industry’s fascination with anti-aging products is a clear indicator of just how normalised transhumanism has become. Brands scramble to release the latest and greatest ‘science backed’ or ‘laboratory tested’ serum or salve that reduces finelines and wrinkles in less than 2 weeks! For transhumanists, we are already on our way to this new future. We are questioning whether people (both as physical objects and as an idea) can be fixed, adjusted, done away with entirely, or refashioned in some way. Ethically, transhumanists have certainly had some backlash. To assume that we need “developing” at all is somewhat at odds with the current narrative of acceptance and inclusivity that dominates most activism
work today. But there are blurry, grey areas. And there are times where transhumanist rhetoric and activism collide – even work together. Some trans people, for example, make use of medical technologies to live the life and adjust the body they live in to one that better accommodates their sense of self. Interestingly, transhumanists see the idea of ‘natural’ as problematic, arguing that science opens the door to what might be thought of as ‘natural’ enhancements if the human mind has imagined them. The somewhat science fiction-like world of transhumanism holds that there are no boundaries to human development and evolution, and that humans can have their own hand in it. But, like most “for the good” interventions, who’s considered “good” is up for debate. Who is entitled to these developments? Who is entitled to decline these developments? Who is exempt from them? More than simply increasing our ability to live longer, think deeper and heal quicker, the transhumanist rhetoric asks us to question what being human really means. For most transhumanists, they seek a posthuman world, where everything we know or think we know about human behaviour is turned completely on its head. In my experience, transhumanism has pervaded our thinking (or is part of it so intrinsically), that it has begun to emerge in our business imperatives. Advertisers and businesses have taken it upon themselves to “drive the right behaviour” in customers. While this may not mean altering the structure of our brains biochemically, it does mean using other “technologies” (behaviourial science, social psychology) to “tune” individuals’ choices and behaviour.
Doing research in the paper and packaging industry highlighted this for me. As an industry, South Africa’s packaging companies (think Sappi, Consol and Mpact) are responsible for most of our junk. They are mandated by government to take responsibility for where their products end up. This has meant that one of their socially responsible business imperative is getting people like you and I, who consume their products, to deal with the waste responsibly. This kind of ‘behavioural evolution’ that is needed in homes, to truly end the pollution crisis we face, is all about eliminating the behaviours seen to unhelpful to the larger question of be a threat to our survival as a human race. We have already taken some of the leaps that transhumanists laud as crucial to human development and evolution. While they are unclear on just what the trajectory or timeline will be, transhumanists believe it is inevitable that we will continue to use technologies to increase the ability of our human brain and body. The question for businesses and advertisers is whether we are aware of our own complacency or collaboration
The big take-out:
Transhumanists believe the use of technology to improve ourselves is inevitable. But so is the ethical backlash.
with these theories. There are thousands of advertisers who will gleefully jump on the promise of a product that really “enhances” a person’s life – but to what end? Where do we draw boundaries, and question what future we are building? It’s not common for us to think about our idealisms as just that – idealisms. We tend to link our experiences and feelings to what we perceive is best or right for the human race. One thing is true though – we keep saying our world is changing. What I wonder is – have we noticed how much we have changed? Who is keeping an eye on that? Clare Denham-Dyson is the head anthropologist at Demographica.
