Watching a short YouTube documentary recently sparked a wider thought path which I’ve been contemplating surrounding Dehumanism. It was discussing Jeffery Epstein and his investment into Transhumanist projects. The mainstream media plays this off like he was some kooky guy with weird ideas, but what you should realise is that this is a burgeoning – yet hidden – area of science. Whilst using his name is a good way to spark interest in the topic, it is not unrelated. Epstein was ethically questionable to say the least. That he was investing in this technology is not something to brush aside.
Whilst you may be aware of technology such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink, or the gene-editing tool CRISPR, in general the public is not so well informed. As I write in ‘Weaponized Sex’ there are Institutions of Illusion which uphold an image of the world which the majority experience life through. Whilst the Internet provides a tool with which we can all cut through this facade, it requires adroit wielding by each individual. Most do not have the skill – nay, the desire – to free their minds from the illusion presented by these institutions. As such, controversial technologies such as Neuralink and CRISPR are kept out of mainstream debates. An occasional Op-Ed may touch on them, but average Joe never even delves into reading these pieces – let alone online counter-narratives. They prefer to stick to salacious headlines and click-bait titles.
Of course, who can blame them? The cognitive dissonance of realising so much of what you have been told is a lie can cause serious mental anguish. Overcoming this requires a fortitude the majority do not have. If you’re working hard and are thrown easy to consume pleasures – porn, Netflix, alcohol – which help keep you in a state of constant vegetative comfort, why would you desire to leave? It takes a certain type of person to want to ‘break free’.
Thankfully, as readers of this blog you are all such people.
Transhumanism and Dehumanism
So I want to take a short look at this area which you may not have given much thought to and highlight why Transhumanism (which I will use interchangeably with Dehumanism) is a morally corrupt goal.
First things first, you must understand that Trashumanists are searching for immortality. I wrote a recent thread (see above) which touched upon the innate desire for eternal life. This stems from the fear of death; a fear which underpins much of human psychology. As such, I do not believe that the desire for immortality is therefore such a bad thing. However, the avenues Transhumanists wish to walk in order to achieve it are. I argue this because they are coming from an essentially deluded place, and one which leads me to label the movement Dehumanism.
Flawed Beings
Why do I say this?
Transhumanists believe that the fleshly vessel we exist in, with its natural lifespan and the necessity of aging, is fundamentally flawed. They do not see aging as necessitous, but as the remnant of a by-gone era. With technology, Transhumanists believe humans should ‘transcend’ and merge with machines in order to remove our bodily functions. There are different groups within the movement who argue for slightly different things – some desire us to merge with machines, others want us to merge with Artificial Intelligence (AI), and yet others who believe we will be entirely assimilated into AI. However, all are premised in a deluded understanding of life which seeks to dehumanise us, hence my use of the term Dehumanism.
Why do I say this? Well, because instead of accepting the reality of entropy, they wish to fight against it. This very premise is not based in reality. After all, even machines breakdown. Indeed, a life-cycle is the natural way of being. Nothing can last forever, for if it does what purpose does it have? This is particularly true when it comes to the life of sentient beings. Without an end, life transforms into a meaningless stretch of days which blend into a run down into eternity. This is no way to live.
Lens of Dehumanism
Without death to frame life, we lose all sense of urgency or importance. Instead of wanting to create a better world – due to the innate desire for leaving a better existence for our children – an eternal existence promotes purely the praise of pleasure. And this links us back to Jeffery Epstein. A man who’s sole purpose was to invoke hedonistic pursuit, and clearly left a trail of tragedy in his wake, is exactly this kind of individual who lusts after an eternal life – hence his funding of science in this area.
By living forever, Transhumanists desire to enact their lustful pleasures on an infinite scale, with no consideration of the second-order effects. Transhumanism is, therefore, the natural ideological progression for paedophiles and sexual exploiters.
This may seem like a leap. But in reality it’s not.
The Dangers of Pleasure
I argue this because predators feel no concern for the potential negative effects of their behaviour, seeking only to achieve their lustful desires. When a paedophile rapes a child they do not care about the effect this will have on that child’s life. All they care about is their own sexual gratification.
This line of thinking has the same underpinnings as Transhumanism, and indeed it must dehumanise the individuals involved. It is a descent away from human-scaled beliefs, into Dehumanism.
If you cannot follow this line of logic, let me explain. When we reprogram human biology – in order to cater for our ego’s lust for eternal life – the potential for negative second-order effects is completely ignored, in the same way a paedophile ignores the effects on a child.
Likewise: will the human mind be able to cope with the profound changes caused by life-extension? Can our biology adapt to an innumerable count of days? Or will it have un-intended consequences akin to the invention of the contraceptive pill? Will immortality, by freeing us from the constraints of our biology, unleash a raft of mental-health consequences?
Will it allow for the endless pursuit of hedonistic abandon, further loosening the morals of society?
What about the effect immortality would have on individuals desire to have children?
Ironically enough, children are how we enact genetic immortality, whereby we live on through others as opposed to simply living on for ourselves. I also believe there are strong arguments showing that having children is central to a biologically fulfilling life. This shouldn’t be surprising, when we consider the evolutionary (created?) determinants of our behaviour.
Frameworks
Having children is completely at odds with the narcissistic hedonism Dehumanism is premised in. Instead of selfishly wanting their own desires to be met, children force (if you wish to raise them well) individuals to make sacrifices for the betterment of their genetic line. It requires humility in order to make these decisions. As a result, it provides intrinsic satisfaction that allows you the glow of integrity as you are doing the right thing for others NOT for yourself! This is a fundamental difference in the very underpinnings of these choices.
These underpinnings are important. I mentioned earlier that death frames life. In a similar light, these ideological lenses frame our choices and Dehumanism and Transhumanism are premised in a delusional frame. Instead of embracing and understanding our biological reality, it rejects and fights against it. Whenever someone doesn’t embrace reality they are causing themselves a mild psychosis. So much of modern life is an example of this.
Feminists deny the reality of biology and the expressions this has on gender, leading to the sexual exploitation – and misery – of women. Vegans deny the nutritional reality of biology, leading to the breaking down of their body and mind. Liberals deny the biological underpinnings of hierarchical reality, leading to a destructive society.
But Dehumanism is more dangerous than all of these combined. Whilst these ignore specific (important!) aspects of our biology, Dehumanists want to fundamentally re-write it. Instead of accepting the beauty life is granted by its natural limitations, they wish to distort it into something ungodly.
Indeed, this very desire – immortality – has already been provided to them in Holy Texts. Eternal Life has been found. But because of their ego’s desire for certainty, they twist the sanctity of life instead of having the faith to embrace it – and what will come after.
In reality, they are arguing out of fear. The fear of uncertainty. The fear of the end.
And there is only true one answer to fear.
Faith.
PS “Weaponized Sex” is on sale now. If you like my essays, you’ll be blown away by the book.