[extropy-chat] Financial Times on transhumanism: The most dangerous idea on earth?

[Giu1i0 Pri5c0]

Financial Times<http://news.ft.com/cms/s/c7eb8502-cda3-11d9-9a8a-00000e2511c8.html>-
A
growing number of people think it will soon be within our reach to become 
something more than human - healthier, stronger, cleverer. All we have to do 
is live long enough to be around when science makes these advances. If we 
are, then we may just live forever.
This idea, known as transhumanism, is steadily spreading from a handful of 
cranks and Star Trek fans into the mainstream and across the Atlantic. But 
it is an idea that Francis Fukuyama, famed for proclaiming the end of 
history when US-style liberal democracy triumphed in the cold war, has 
described as the most dangerous in the world.
This FT article is reasonably balanced and tries to explain both side's 
viewpoint. Besides Fukuyama's book, the article quotes and outlines MORE 
THAN HUMAN by Ramez Naam, FANTASTIC VOYAGE by Ray Kurzweil and Terry 
Grossman, and CITIZEN CYBORG by James Hughes. Conclusion: The biotechnology 
revolution has caused Fukuyama to revise his contention that we have reached 
the end of history - history rolls on, but driven by scientists instead of 
kings. What all these writers have in common is the firm belief that the 
biotech era will shake up the old political allegiances and create new 
dividing lines. On one side will be those who believe such meddling 
unnatural and unwise. On the other, those who want to take the offerings of 
the biotech revolution and become something more than human. Won't you be 
tempted?
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/attachments/20050527/b808838b/attachment.html>