The Concept Of The Post-Human Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Concept Of The Post-Human - Essay Example But, the outstanding development of sciences, especially such as genetics, biotechnology, informatics, cybernetics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, astrophysics, cosmology and others, led to significant changes in the customary understanding of the relationship between humans and nature. Pepperell (1997) argues that new findings in the modern scientific researches pose today more questions than answers about the universe, nature and humans; moreover, â€Å"the tendency towards the developments of artificial life, synthesised intelligence, instant telecommunications and virtual reality means that we are now aware of a disappearing barrier between ‘natural’ and ‘human-made’ phenomena† (p.165). As a consequence of the shifts in the understanding of human power and beliefs in human’s superiority, an idea of â€Å"post-humanism† was born in 1940s and nowadays it has become quite popular, especially within â€Å"science-fiction-minde d† circles (Clark 2010). This paper is aimed to explore the meaning of the concept of the â€Å"post-human† and to discuss major assumed hazards for humans related to the concept, with the references to two famous movies – Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982) and the Terminator series (James Cameron, 1984; 1991). The films not only help to realise the possible threats to humanity from uncontrolled development of technologies, but, importantly, they â€Å"raise even more probing questions about the consequences of our definitions of the human† (Pyle 2000: p.124). What is the â€Å"post-human†? The early definitions of a post-human society are connected with the cybernetic movement started by Norbert Weiner in the 1940s, then ideas of the post-humanism have been popularised by American futurists (such as Stephen Hawking, Alvin Toffler and others) (Clark 2010). Gradually the concept of the â€Å"post-human† has been developing, inspiring many of na tural scientists and philosophers, as well as science-fiction writers, artists and film-makers. Generally speaking, a post-human is a conceptual imaging of â€Å"biotechnological or cybernetic systemic couplings† (Cobley 2010: p.294). Currently this concept is used in several meanings. Pepperell (1997) suggests three cases of the term’s using: (1) it is used to indicate the end of the Humanism period in the historical process of the world social development; (2) it is used to emphasise the transformation of a human being’s concept, mentioned above; (3) it refers to the current persistent convergence of technologies and human organisms, leading to â€Å"a future state of humanity in which biology is merged with technology† (p.174). The latter meaning draws the most attention in the world research society and causes heat debates, especially between the so called transhumanists and their opponents. According to the definition of Marx More: â€Å"Posthumans will be persons of unprecedented physical, intellectual and psychological ability, self-programming and self-defining, potentially immortal, unlimited individuals. Posthumans have overcome the biological, neurological, and psychological constraints evolved into humans. †¦Our personalities having been transferred â€Å"into† more durable, modifiable, and faster, and more powerful bodies and thinking hardware† (cited in Pepperell 1997: p.175). Bostrom (2003) explains what advantages the posthuman persons will have in comparing with the current state of human beings. Among them there are: a higher level of intellectuality and consciousness; resistance to many diseases and nonsusceptibility to aging;