Transhumanism and Christianity

The paper analyzes the attitude of Christian theologians and transhumanists to the problem of transforming the human nature. It uses the methods of hermeneutics, comparison, abstraction, induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, as well as mental simulation. The paper substantiates the optimal variant of transforming the human nature based on analyzing the Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism, and transhumanist concepts position. It shows that our civilization is experiencing a deepening global crisis, which main cause lies in such human properties as hypertrophied consumer intention, aggressiveness, and excessive selfishness. To exclude a tragic outcome, changes in these properties are required by transforming the human nature. Such a need is characterized by a new concept, i.e. the Prometheus’s challenge (similar to the Toynbee's concept of the Poseidon’s challenge — the need to create a navigation technology). However, a significant group of people is opposing the transhumanists’ programs. Largely, these include representatives of various religious movements. The paper provides critical analysis of the Orthodox and Catholic theologians’ attitude to transhumanism. It stresses that criticizing transhumanism by Orthodox and Catholic theologians is to a certain extent useful in understanding unacceptability of the radical transhumanism program, which threatens the disappearance of humanity as a result of losing the human essence. Moreover, bioconservatives recognize only the need for therapeutic influence on a person eliminating disturbances in the organism functioning, and deny the need to improve its nature, which implies going beyond the biological norm. They do not take into account that transhumanism includes a program of moderate transhumanism providing for preservation of the human essence and values of the traditional humanism during transformations. If implementation of this program is missing, it becomes impossible to overcome the steadily deepening global crisis due to the above-mentioned negative components in human consciousness. Therefore, criticism of transhumanism by religious bioconservatives is recognized in general as non-constructive. The paper considers views of representatives of the neo-Protestant Christian Transhumanist Association. It identifies possibility to combine these views with position of the moderate transhumanism based on the doctrine of co-creation of man and God. This would contribute to expanding the circle of supporters of the transhumanism ideas. The results obtained would allow humanity to choose a path of moderate transhumanism, which could assist society in overcoming the global crisis and raising to a higher development level.

EDN OVDNVE

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