Conceptually thinking, the idea of enhancing the body with futuristic computer chips and technologically enhanced muscles is a great thing. Who wouldn’t want to possess the same memory capacity as a computer, or the same athletic ability of a world class sprinter? But ethically and realistically thinking, it is much more complicated to transcend the metaphysical world and achieve the status of a posthuman cyborg, rather than just staying in the form of our natural bodies. By conforming to an altered state of physical being, such as the ones proposed in the article, we are essentially dehumanizing ourselves, as well as eliminating the competition that our world thrives by.
Our natural body defines who we are and what we are capable of. We are allowed to think independently and act independently of others – it’s what makes us, as a human race, unique. But what if we all had the same strength and endurance of world class athletes? What if we could all run as fast as Usain Bolt or swim as fast as Michael Phelps? One thing is for sure, the Olympics wouldn’t be as exciting. In fact, economically speaking, technological enhancements are hindering society moreso than improving it. Who would watch the Olympics if everyone were a super athlete? And if we could develop “enhanced optical devices” for everyone, what would happen to all the optometrists? And if people could no longer become injured or handicapped, what would happen to all the doctors? And what would happen to businesses if everyone had the same entrepreneurial prowess as Bill Gates? Competition suddenly goes away – we all become one common mass, rather than millions of unique individual natural bodies. Our natural body defines us, and without it, we are just flattening the bell curve of society. We will no longer be able to identify ourselves by our own mental and physical abilities, and there will be no distinguishable features from the top 95% of society or the bottom 95%. We will all become the middle 50%; nothing more, nothing less.
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You make an extremely valid point in your post. I had only thought to come up with reasons why I would want to remain in the natural body, without thoroughly considering all the reasons I would not want to have the others. I completely agree that the economy would collapse as a result of universal perfection, and life would become simply less interesting. You hit it right on the nose when you said "flattening the bell curve of society," I thought that was a nice touch. Maintaining our individuality and differences is vital to a successful world and maintaining who we are as people.
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed what you had to say and agree whole heartedly with it. As a competitive person, I look forward to testing myself against others and look for improvement. I never thought about how competition would crumble if we were all enhanced. It would make life monotonous and unenjoyable, almost unbearable. It truly makes you stop and appreciate what talents as well as flaws that you do possess and how each play an important role in our society.
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