02.07.07
The Trouble with “Transhumanism”
Dale Carrico:The Trouble with “Transhumanism”: Part One
The term “transhumanist” may give people an identity at the cost of achieving their goals
By Dale Carrico (Betterhumans 12/17/2004)
(»I’m not a transhumanist, but I play one on Google.
It’s been happening more and more lately. A student or colleague or friend who does an online search for my name or stumbles upon some of my online writing asks, in a somewhat perplexed tone, “Are you one of these ‘transhumanists?’” And, “What is this whole ‘transhumanist’ thing about?” The more I think about these questions, the harder it is to answer them. And this is making me incredibly nervous. [....]«)
The Trouble with “Transhumanism”: Part Two (Betterhumans 12/22/2004)
To make real progress in discussions of radical technology, the first thing we need is new language
(»As I discussed in the first part of this series, I think that some supporters of radical technological outcomes overapply the term “transhumanist” to their strategic allies in ways that might needlessly alienate them, render them more vulnerable to rhetorical attack and, in so doing, frustrate the achievement of shared strategic ends. [...]«)