Transhumanism and Islam

The paper identifies the transhumanists and Islamic theologians’ attitude to the problem of human transformation. It uses methods of hermeneutics, comparison, abstraction, induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, as well as mental simulation. The paper substantiates a variant in the human nature transformation based on analyzing the transhumanism and Islam positions. It shows that our civilization is facing a deepening global crisis caused by such properties of people as hypertrophied consumer intention, aggressiveness and excessive egoism. To exclude a tragic outcome, it becomes necessary to change these properties by transforming the human nature. However, there exists a significant group of bioconservatives opposing a transhumanist program. To a larger extent, this group includes representatives of various religion movements. The paper provides a critical analysis of the Islamic theologians’ attitude to transhumanism. Their attitude to death is considered. Arguments of the transhumanists in support of the idea of a possibility of cybernetic immortality are given. The obtained results would allow humanity to choose the moderate transhumanism path, since implementation of the radical transhumanism program could cause disappearance of humanity. The paper concludes that the moderate transhumanism program would assist society in overcoming the current global crisis and rising to a higher development level.

EDN FLZGSB

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