Paradigms of Human Enhancement: from Immanent Individualism to Personalism

Occupation: research fellow, Department of philosophy
Affiliation: Institute of Philosophy and Law, The Urals Branch of RAS
Address: 16 Sophya Kovalevskaya str., Ekaterinburg 620108, Russian Federation

Journal name

Chelovek

Edition

Volume 31 Issue №1

Pages

6-22

Abstract

The prospects of humanism are assessed in the context of the active development of technologies for changing human nature. Humanism affirms the highest value of a human, ascribes to him/her exceptional ability for rational judgments and responsible actions, the free nature of choice (free will). At the same time, transhumanism follows from humanism: a consistent commitment to humanistic principles leads to the conclusion that everyone is free to change one’s body following one’s individual preferences. Such initiatives can sooner or later result in the destruction of the Lifeworld, turn into the creation of potentially dangerous creatures with whom dialogue and a sincere emotional connection are impossible.

It is shown that the “immanent” individualism is the ethical basis of humanism and transhumanism — the desire for earthly prosperity of a person who pursues goals defined by himself. Accordingly, overcoming (or moving away from) humanism/transhumanism is possible both along the “upward” path (from the immanent as such to the transcendental) and along the “downward” path (from anthropocentrism to posthumanistic “deconstructivism”). However, in the context of discussions about changes in human nature, the third, personalistic, alternative also becomes relevant. Thus alternative consists in trying to shift the emphasis from a human as a biosocial being to a person as a sociobiological being. Personalism can be understood as an attitude to overcome the absurdity of the “immanent order”, but not so much by resorting to the transcendent, as in trying to reach the integrity of the intersubjective space of culture.

Keywords

humanism, transhumanism, posthumanism, personalism, capitalism, post-capitalism

Received

21.03.2020

Publication date

30.03.2020

Number of characters

31387

Cite

GOST	Davydov D. Paradigms of Human Enhancement: from “Immanent” Individualism to Personalism // Chelovek – 2020. – V. 31. – Issue №1 C. 6-22 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://chelovek-journal.ru/S023620070008740-1-1 (circulation date: 27.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S023620070008740-1
MLA	Davydov, D. "Paradigms of Human Enhancement: from “Immanent” Individualism to Personalism." Chelovek 31.1 (2020):6-22. DOI: 10.31857/S023620070008740-1
APA	Davydov D. (2020). Paradigms of Human Enhancement: from “Immanent” Individualism to Personalism. Chelovek 31(1), pp.6-22 DOI: 10.31857/S023620070008740-1

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 1192

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Berdyaev N.A. Samopoznanie [Self-knowledge]. In: Berdyaev, N.A. Maloe sobranie sochinenij [Small Collected Works]. St. Petersburg: Azbuka Attikus Publ., 2016. P. 365–670.

2. Berdyaev N.A. Smysl tvorchestva [The meaning of the creative act]. Moscow: AST Publ., 2018.

3. Berdyaev N.A. Czarstvo duxa i czarstvo kesarya [The kingdom of the spirit and the kingdom of Caesar]. In: Berdyaev, N.A. Sud`ba Rossii [The fate of Russia]. Moscow: Azbuka-Attikus Publ., 2016. P. 277–412.

4. Borisov N.A. Obshhestvo bez smerti ili gegemoniya social`nogo [The society where there is no death or Hegemony of the social]. Vestnik TGU: Filosofiya, Sociologiya, Politologiya. 2017. N 39. P. 68-78.

5. Gorz A. Nematerial'noe. Znanie, stoimost' i capital [L'immateriel: Connaissance, valeur et capital. Moscow: HSE Publishing House, 2010.

6. Dyson E. Iskustvenny`j intellekt/iskusstvennaya zhizn` [Artificial Intelligence / Artificial Life]. In: Brockman, J. (ed.) Chto my` dumaem o mashinax, kotory`e dumayut. Vedushhie mirovy`e uchyony`e ob iskusstvennom intellekte [What to Think About Machines That Think: Today's Leading Thinkers on the Age of Machine Intelligence]. Moscow: Al`pina non-fikshn Publ., 2017.

7. Kerimov T.X. The renewal of humanism: its possibilities and prospects. Izvestiya Ural`skogo Federal`nogo universiteta. Seriya 3. Obshhestvenny`e nauki. 2018, N 3, P. 16–26.

8. Kutyrev V.A. Levyi konservatizm kak filosofiia soprotivleniia tekhnogennoi degradatsii chelovechestva (Mikhail Lifshits i konets klassicheskoi marksistskoi filosofii — po itogam prazdnovaniia 200-letiia so dnia rozhdeniia K. Marksa) [Left conservatism as a philosophy of resistance to the technogenic degradation of mankind (Mikhail Lifshits and the end of classical Marxist philosophy — following the results of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Marx)]. Filosofiia khoziaistva. 2019. N 1. P. 95–109.

9. Lacroix J. Personalizm: istoki – osnovaniya – aktual`nost` [Personalism: sources – bases – relevance]. In: Lacroix, J. Personalizm: izbrannoe [Personalism: selected works]. Moscow: ROSSPE`N Publ., 2004. P. 5–164.

10. Mounier E. Personalizm [Personalism]. In: Mounier, E. Manifest personalizma [Personalism manifesto]. Moscow: Respublika Publ., 1999. P. 459-539.

11. Hottois G. Transgumanizm – eto gumanizm? [Is transhumanism a humanism?]. Chelovek. 2014. N 6. P. 46–53.

12. Solov`ev V.A. Smy`sl lyubvi [The meaning of love]. URL: https://predanie.ru/solovev-vladimir-sergeevich/smysl-lyubvi/chitat/ (date of access: 08.05.2019).

13. Taylor Ch. Sekulyarnyi vek [Secular Age]. Moscow: BBI, 2017.

14. Fukuyama F. Nashe postchelovecheskoe budushhee. Posledstviya biotexnologicheskoj revolyucii [Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution]. Moscow: AST Publ., 2004.

15. Harari Y.N. Homo Deus: Kratkaya istoriya budushchego [Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow]. Moscow: Sindbad Publ., 2018.

16. Harari Y.N. Sapiens: Kratkaya istoriya chelovechestva [Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind]. Moscow: Sindbad Publ., 2016.

17. Yudkowsky E. Vglyady`vayas` v Singulyarnost` [Peering into the Singularity]. URL: https://www.proza.ru/2007/07/08-42 (date of access: 08.05.2019).

18. Bostrom N. Human genetic enhancements: a transhumanist perspective. URL: http://www.nickbostrom.com/ethics/genetic.html (date of access: 08.05.2019).

19. Bostrom N. Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.

20. Braidotti R. The Posthuman. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013.

21. Conde S. J. A. ¿Es posible un transhumanismo marxista? Revista de Filosofía. 2018. N 82. P. 49–86.

22. Cole-Turner R. (ed.) Transhumanism and Transcendence Christian Hope in an Age of Technological Enhancement. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2011.

23. Ferrando F. Posthumanism, Transhumanism, Antihumanism, Metahumanism, and New Materialisms: Differences and Relations. Existenz: An International Journal in Philosophy, Religion, Politics, and the Arts. 2013. Vol. 8, N 2. P. 26–32.

24. Kurzwei R. The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. London: Penguin Books, 2006.

25. Le Dévédec N. Unfit for the future? The depoliticization of human perfectibility, from the Enlightenment to transhumanism. European Journal of Social Theory. 2018. Vol. 21, N 4. P. 1–20.

26. Moravec H. Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1990.

27. Pearce D. The Hedonistic Imperative. [Electronic resource]. URL: https://www.hedweb.com/ (date of access: 08.05.2019).

28. Peters T. Imago Dei, DNA, and the Transhuman Way. Theology and Science. 2018. Vol. 16, N 3. P. 353–362. https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2018.1488529

29. Steinhoff J. Transhumanism and Marxism: Philosophical Connections. Journal of Evolution and Technology. 2014. N 2 [Electronic resource]. URL: http://jetpress.org/v24/steinhoff.htm (date of access: 08.05.2019).

30. The Amsterdam Declaration [Electronic resource]. URL: https://iheu.org/about/humanism/the-amsterdam-declaration/ (date of access: 08.05.2019).