According to Nick Bostrom, Philosophy professor at Oxford University and author of
“The Transhumanist FAQ” published by the World Transhumanist Association, transhumanism is “the intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally improving the human condition through applied reason.” Bostrom offers a two-part definition of transhumanism, stating that this movement is also the “study of the ramifications, promises and potential dangers of technologies that will enable us to overcome fundamental human limitations.” The second part of his definition is crucial to understanding what transhumanism means for our society. It is not some sci-fi movement that is far removed from society. Transhumanism applies to today’s world in an increasingly tangible way, but there are ethical and moral issues that must be considered in any discussion of transhumanism.
Joel questions his decision to erase Clementine from his memory.
A concrete example of transhumanism in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is procedure of erasing someone from your memory forever. Protagonist Joel Barish decides to erase the memory of his ex-girlfriend Clementine after he finds out that she erased him from her own memory. He first collects everything that triggers any memories of Clementine and goes through preliminary trials where he emotionally responds to each item. The actual erasing of his memory is performed while he sleeps. This concept is an example of how technology allowing humans to alter the human condition. However, altering the human condition by essentially causing permanent brain damage, as the doctor in the movie puts it, leads to friction between opposing ethical views and standards.
The ability to erase someone and all the memories associated with that person places power in technology rather than biology. In fact, it can also be viewed as an advancement for the human race by eliminating pain associated with certain memories from the human brain. However, if one takes the stance that without pain one cannot experience greater happiness, then eliminating this pain may not be what is best for humankind. Furthermore, humans can be fickle. Some people divorce their spouses, only to remarry them years later! Erasing a person from ones memory also erases that possibility of spontaneity. Putting ones fate in technologies’ hands could bring us closer to perfection, but whether perfection is what the human race should strive for is up for debate.
Will we become robots?
I think the transhumanist movement is extremely exciting. I believe mankind should always continue evolving, and at its core, transhumanism is about the evolution of mankind facilitated by technology. Frankly, whether I am excited about the movement or not, transhumanism is our present and future. We continue to push the limits on what the human mind can do, but there is so much more to discover. Having said that, I think the ethical and moral debate of transhumanism is vital, as there must be some checks and balances in place. The homogenization of mankind scares me the most. If we strive for perfection through technology, how will we differentiate one person from the next? What exactly is the threshold that takes us into robot territory? While that might sound exaggerative, without any ethical or moral standards, we run the risk of technology controlling us.
COMM 2302 (Spring 2013) 