Well, I don't really have anything to say here, but I’m posting here anyway.



...

The above statement was a saved draft, from a couple weeks ago. I think it has more to do with I have things to say but not the confidence to confront them and then turn them for you to confront.

I've been reading about post-humanism, and trans-humanism as well.
Do we have a soul? I'm beginning to believe, that no. we don't. Human beings seem more and more constructed around chemical balances, mathematical equations, logic, and (although as much as we wish against it) tangible, and relatively easily-manipulated parts. The very things that make the standard "personality" of a human; their tendency to be pessimistic or optimistic, to be creative or to be grounded. Eccentricity and the like, all able to be tailored by exogenous chemicals that we, humans, now have the technology to create.

And superficially, this seems like a great fix. No one wants to depressed, or schizophrenic. We all want to be normal as best we can. (However, when the question is applied to the global population, people are much more hesitant to wish. It's a "not me but someone approach".) But in many cases, if not all, there is always a trade off. We'll take your depression, but your creativity as well. We'll make you a leader and confident, but you'll lose compassion for others. More and more, as we progress further into the field of Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience in general (as well as human engineering) we're trading the Pros of the INDIVIDUAL for the Cons of the group. As a society, genetic variance is essential; at least under the philosophy of a "free and equal market" (equality is the opportunity to prove those unequal).

For the individual, this seems like a great opportunity. To further yourself (or your descendants) to be more intelligent, more physically capable, more analytical, etc would be wonderful for the individual. However, this brings in problems from many different angles. First, this biotechnology, while technically available, would most assuredly come with a price tag. Which means, given the technology passed regulations (or have not been regulated yet), would only be available for the most part to the upper class of individuals. This obviously would lead into a class war, and very well could snowball into the oppression of the “inferior classes” of the Middle and lower class. Not only does the upper class of society have the monetary power, but now they’re transferring that substantial power into biotechnology.

The second point could be that, through the perfection of the human genome and physical abilities, a new standard of human ‘erfection’ would be set. The Genetic variance of humans is essential for a paragon of our Human “quality” to exist. If everyone were perfect, then what would be left? New ideas, Creativity, ingenuity, would all be handicapped in the short term and theoretically abolished in the long term if humans were tailored all to the same paragon. In the short term, we’d still be shaped and molded by the society we live in, of course. But one hundred, two hundred years down the road, after generations have passed and more and more people have been molded and sculpted into this paragon, then what variance would there be?

So where would this leave God, and the moral and spiritual aspect of the Human. Of course, under a religious view, this is “laying God”. But what is God, if Humans didn’t exist, or didn’t have capacity (as an animal) to believe in God, would there be a God? Voltaire said, “If God didn’t exist, then man would event him”. But who is to say that he has existed as all. The fundamental aspect of most religions (in that your soul transcends your body after death), be it to heaven or Samsara, is called into question. Why do animals not have souls, as many western religions say? Is it because they do not reason or realize the actuality of God? However, the realization of God and the ability of humans to develop that reasoning are all because of a more developed brain. In the womb, we go through stages of having the brain of an animal. Does this mean that during that stage we have no soul, if the ability to reason is all based on brain chemicals, and our soul is based on our human condition? Or do we have the soul because our body will develop into what we are (which brings in another whole abortion-argument). But if that were the case, then do people who undergo massive brain damage loose their soul?


..I have to leave, but I’ll finish this later.

It’s time for religion class, haha.