Aydin Ciano
University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
J Med Philos. 2017 Jun 1;42(3):304-327. doi: 10.1093/jmp/jhx002.
In this paper, the author aims to show that transhumanists are confused about their own conception of the posthuman: transhumanists anticipate radical transformation of the human through technology and at the same time assume that the criteria to determine what is "normal" and what is "enhanced" are univocal, both in our present time and in the future. Inspired by Nietzsche's notion of the Overhuman, the author argues that the slightest "historical and phenomenological sense" discloses copious variations of criteria, both diachronic and synchronic, for what can be considered "normal" and "enhanced." Radical transformation through technology does not simply enable us to become "stronger," "smarter," or "healthier," but it can and often will also change the very standard or yardstick with which we measure what counts as "stronger," "smarter," or "healthier." Put yet differently: new and emerging technologies are not neutral means but often bring about different and, from our current perspective, foreign standards for determining what are "normal" and "enhanced" capacities. Since the qualitative meanings of these terms are themselves not fixed, it is unintelligible and too reassuring to simply predict that new technologies will enhance human beings.
在本文中，作者旨在表明，超人类主义者对他们自己关于后人类的概念感到困惑：超人类主义者预期人类将通过技术实现激进的转变，同时又假定在我们当下以及未来，用以判定何为“正常”、何为“增强”的标准是明确统一的。受尼采的超人概念启发，作者认为，哪怕是最细微的“历史和现象学意识”都会揭示出，对于何为“正常”、何为“增强”，存在着大量历时性和共时性的标准变体。通过技术实现的激进转变并非仅仅使我们变得“更强壮”“更聪明”或“更健康”，它还能够且往往也会改变我们用以衡量何为“更强壮”“更聪明”或“更健康”的标准或尺度。换种说法：新兴技术并非中立的手段，而是常常带来不同的、从我们当前视角来看陌生的标准，用以判定何为“正常”和“增强”的能力。由于这些术语的定性含义本身并不固定，仅仅预测新技术将提升人类是难以理解且过于乐观的。
