Persuasive Essay On Transhumanism

ENG 102-118
Erna Gülin Langbroek
21401317
Essay 1 Final Draft

Transhumanism: The Radical Solution

Transhumanism is a state in which humans seek to develop their life standards and well-being by evolving themselves into human beings with higher capabilities. It claims that the average life standard will rise when the “human condition” is solved. One article in Wikipedia defines the human condition as the sum of qualities all humans possess, such as “the inevitability of isolation, search for the meaning of life and awareness of the inescapability of death” (“Human Condition”), to name a few. The question at hand is whether transhumanism can come up with plausible solutions to solve these concerns. It is important to know the answer to this
Pain-killers, antidepressants and tranquilizers are chemicals that affect the activity of neurotransmitters in our body. Neurotransmitters ultimately affect our emotions. Here is how: A research conducted on 11 participants which “compared amygdala activation in response to masked emotional faces before and after antidepressant treatment”(Sheline 251) was observed by using fMRI scanning. The “amygdala is the integrative center for emotions, emotional behavior, and motivation” (Wright). Sheline concluded that “Depressed patients had exaggerated left amygdala activation to all faces, greater for fearful faces. Right amygdala did not differ from control subjects. Following treatment, patients had bilateral reduced amygdala activation to masked fearful faces and bilateral reduced amygdala activation to all faces. Control subjects had no differences between the two scanning sessions.” (Sheline, 651). This comes to show that chemicals can activate and deactivate certain parts of the brain, ultimately affecting the emotions of human beings. However, these drugs also carry negative side effects with it, such as weight gain, sexual dysfunction, and the anxiety felt by the discontinuation of it, states Ferguson (22). “A diversity of better-targeted drugs is on its way, and many will be tailored to the individual” (Martin, 261). Martin (265) states that in
In fact, it is quite possible that new innovations and technologies that make life easier will make humans greedier, more thirsty for answers and less satisfacted than they were before they adopted transhumanism. Schopenhauer argues that caring, fearing and hoping for something is derived from the absences in our life. He states that if humans are successful in establishing a utopic world in which no one suffers and everyone gets what they want immediately, then there will be no meaning to life (44). Humans might find after evolving to posthumans (the state that comes after “trans”forming to evolved humans), that it was actually a mistake and more detrimental to humanity to adopt transhumanism. Perhaps, the answer to the question “What is the meaning of life?” will then be apparent: To enjoy life as it naturally is, regardless of the consecutive pangs of suffering and waves of joy we experience. It is a generally observed fact that humans learn best from their mistakes and first hand experiences. Like a baby curious about high places eventually falling from one, perhaps humans will also experience this sort of enlightenment only after adopting