Transhumanism
From Gothpoodle
Transhumanists argued that technology could be used to vastly extend the potential of the human species. Genetic and cybernetic enhancement, the medical extension of human lifespan, the use of mind-altering drugs, communion with increasingly advanced computers, all were touted as valuable tools for the extension of human capability.
The Transhumanist movement had roots stretching back into the 20th century. In fact, some of the movement’s earliest leaders were still active in the 2050s, having taken an interest in life-extension technology from the beginning. The movement was driven by people of all ages and from all walks of life, including a number of wealthy entrepreneurs and influential artists.
Most of the older Transhumanists were committed to promoting their ideals through established social institutions. On the other hand, in the 2050s the movement attained a great deal of popularity among young adults in the developed nations. In some ways, these young mid-century Transhumanists resembled American and European radicals of the 1960s. They laid the same emphasis on moral value, made the same demands for freedom and justice, and mounted the same aggressive challenge to established institutions. Their foremost complaint was that the original Transhumanist ideals had been hijacked by a corporate and political “establishment,” which was interested in life extension but tended to oppose the rest of the Transhumanist program. These young radicals insisted that the benefits of new technology should be made available to everyone, not used to tighten the grip of a reactionary elite on social power.
Led by their elder heroes, the young Transhumanists had a profound effect on the politics and social life of the developed nations. In this they again resembled the radicals of the 20th century, who lost many specific battles but still managed to permanently change the social landscape. Unfortunately the revolutionary young Transhumanists also emulated some of the darker features of 20th century radicalism. Some of them destroyed themselves by undergoing untested genetic therapies, using dangerous drugs, or accepting illegal cybernetic implants. Others pursued violent protest against established corporate or governmental institutions. Still others turned away from a world they saw as corrupt, forming small communities on the fringes of society, or venturing into space.
