Currently, computer technology has transformed the world beyond recognition. Now the question of how people can enhance their physical and intellectual capabilities thanks to artificial intelligence technologies is actively discussed. It is becoming clear that technological innovations can affect not only the external environment but also a person’s social and natural qualities. In parallel with the prospects for human improvement, robotics is underway, which will gradually replace humans in production and the service sector or even in education. The constant improvement of virtual reality and neurocomputer interfaces makes being in it completely realistic. Questions related to the prospect of a constant increase in comfort and the liberation of a person are raised within the philosophy of transhumanism. However, there are concerns about the cost of such progress and what a person will become after all the mechanical and biological transformations.
An episode of “Black Mirror,” the British science fiction series, shows the impact of information technology on human relations in exaggerated form. “The entire history of you” amazes the plot, making one think about the possibilities of technology and life in a world of total control. The story with a chip implanted in the head that allows all the memories to be produced seems ingenious; however, the situation shown is horrifying. The possibilities of the memory system cause great anxiety in the protagonist. A technological future allows a man to reveal moments inaccessible to a person in our reality. This leads to paranoia, reckless, aggressive actions, and broken life.
Postman, expressing his opinion about the technological future, brings up the idea that technology gives and takes away. It means that for every advantage a new technology offers, there is always corresponding damage. The damage may outweigh the importance of the advantage, or the advantage may well be worth the price. These thoughts are applied to the story from the episode of the series. The ability to capture everything that happens turns out to be a punishment for the character, a moral problem that he cannot accept, and, in the end, pulls out the destructive part of himself. Perhaps such a life, familiar to us, will allow him to feel the long-awaited calmness.
Transhumanism is seen as a completely new approach to thinking about the future. It is based on the assumption that humans are not the pinnacle of the evolution of intelligent matter but rather only it’s beginning. Man’s desire to acquire divine qualities has been observed throughout history. People have always strived to expand the boundaries of their existence: ecological, mental, and geographical. Schatzer (2019) criticizes the philosophy’s concept, showing that it is another expression of humanity’s belief that we are gods in our own right. From a religious point of view, philosophical ideas are wrong; theology professor broadcasts the idea that overcoming humanity is contrary to the scriptures. If we seek to shed our bodies, we lose a fundamental aspect of our humanity and ultimately deny the One who took on flesh to save us (Shatzer, 2019). In his opinion, believers must reject the assumptions of our culture that true dignity and value stem from the economic usefulness of human life. Considering the story by Flannery O’Connor, “A Temple of the Holy Ghost,” its end is associated with the acceptance of God’s will, which runs counter to the analyzed concept.
The problem of transhumanism is viewed from the point of choice in the direction in which a person will improve. If religion proposes to use free will and consistent effort for this, then it implies interventions on the physical level. Parallels are sometimes drawn between transhumanism and eugenics, which says that the strong must develop and the weak must be eliminated. Criticism may be related to the fact that the concept takes away humanity from a person and assumes that new technologies will be available only to society’s elite. The rest will become their labor force or experimental subjects. For a person, family, friendship, love, self-sacrifice, and faith have spiritual significance. This is where the personality is manifested; this is the main component of life. Without these spiritual qualities, a person dies, often having lost them, renouncing physical life. It can be presumed that philosophy invites people to lose the highest meaning of human existence and leave themselves with only the possibility of complete scientific knowledge and pleasure. This prospect of the future does not seem attractive given the development in all aspects of life.
Transhumanism is a growing international intellectual, cultural and ideological movement that promotes scientific knowledge and technological capabilities. Its goal is to improve human anatomy and cognition and is intended to be good because people will avoid the burdens of aging and diseases in the long term. It cannot be denied there is a huge future behind information technology. At the moment, technology determines the development of many sectors of our civilization. We need to be sober about information technologies and not consider them universal tools for solving all problems. They are only a means, helpers of human activity, and by themselves, they cannot surpass human nature, no matter how great their capabilities are. It is difficult to find answers to global questions about the overall development of technologies and humanity’s future in the new conditions of existence. However, simultaneously with the embodiment of idealistic ideas, transhumanism can lead to implementing the most dangerous plans in the world, and these fears are not without reason.