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| Conwy Castle 2001 |
Reasons To Believe Newsletter, July/August 2019, Covina, California.
In this issue sent to my regular mail, it presents an article by Joe Aguirre entitled, Ready for a Posthuman Future?
It discusses a new book, Humans 2.0 by Fazale Rana and Kenneth Samples.
The article describes transhumanism as a 'philosophical movement with religious overtones that advocates for the transformation of humans through the use of technology to correct our biological flaws and redesign humans for the technological age.' (2).
This approach is reasoned to use science and technology to bring an end to human suffering and to assist with human development and flourishing. To bring about a utopia. (2).
The article supports the development of biotechnological advances. (2).
I support these.
The article warns however that transhumanism can serve as a quote 'counterfeit gospel'. (2).
This is a reasonable premise.
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Related edited comments from my PhD May 30 2013
I can accept that science must use natural and not supernatural means and is clearly often a discipline with different methods than biblical studies, theology or philosophy. One should not expect scientific method to be religious in nature. God is revealed in Scripture to be spiritual in nature as described in John 4:24, therefore God could never be proven to exist through the empirical, scientific testing of matter. Science is therefore a discipline outside of the realm of the supernatural.
Science has made discoveries that have assisted humanity and has helped persons understand many realities. I embrace science.
My Reformed perspective deduces that human corruption cannot be entirely corrected scientifically but human beings are changed permanently to avoid evil only by the completed regeneration and resurrection work of God. Such as the eventual resurrection of those in the Christian Church (1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4). And the culminated Kingdom of God (Revelation 21-22).
I reason that scientific progress has helped humanity tremendously to live better quality lives, but human beings are capable of committing as grotesque and intense evils as ever in the twenty-first century. This is so, in my view, because scientific knowledge has not as of yet, been able to change the essential nature of human beings.
Even if science, through something such as transhumanism, could perfect the physical nature of persons to avoid evil actions, assuming for the sake of argument human beings have a spirit, it needs to be considered if materially based science could perfect the human spirit as well to avoid all wrong actions. This would appear doubtful.
Therefore the need for the regeneration and resurrection power of the triune, biblical God, that is infinite, eternal and omnipotent is required to restore humanity. To improve everlasting humanity from finite imperfection to finite perfection.
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Scientism
Forms of transhumanism, or at least, worldviews that heavily emphasize scientific premises and conclusions, at the expense of others, may risk scientism in approach. I am not being dogmatic here connecting transhumanism and like with scientism, in every case.
Blackburn Scientism: A pejorative term for the concept that only the methods of natural science and related categories form the elements for any philosophical or other enquiry. Blackburn (1996: 344).
From Oxford Dictionary Scientism: 1 a a method or doctrine regarded as characteristic of scientists b the use of practice of this. 2 often derogatory, an excessive belief in or application of scientific method. Oxford (1995: 1236).
A person and/or worldview, holding to scientism may abandon the need for a contextual evaluation of Scripture and the revealed word of God in regard to origins and creation; instead embracing scientific explanations alone. Academic disciplines such as biblical studies, theology and philosophy of religion, may be viewed as not significantly providing premises and conclusions that provide knowledge.
BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Reasons To Believe Newsletter, July/August 2019, Covina, California.
THE CONCISE OXFORD DICTIONARY (1995) Della Thompson (ed.), Oxford, Clarendon Press.
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