the why question dc oct 2004

8/7/2019 The Why Question DC Oct 2004

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Human EnhancementHuman EnhancementAnswering the Why QuestionAnswering the Why Question

Nick Bostrom

Philosophy Faculty

Oxford University

TechnoSapiens II, Washington DC, 28-29 October 2004


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Why?

We have reached a point of great comfort and ease

relative to the past; the real question is whether, havingreached that point, we want to trade it in for something

essentially unknown.

Chapter One: Too Much

Chapter Two: Even More

Chapter Three: Enough?

Chapter Four: Is Enough Possible?

Chapter Five: Enough!

Bill McKibben: Enough: Staying Human in

an Engineered Age (2003)


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The Technological Imperative?

Super-, ultra-, mega-, hyper-Faster! Better!! Longer!!!

Progress!!!! Power!!!!!

Control!!!!!! Expand!!!!!!!


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The whole point of the transhumanist movement is to do away with

deterministic thinking. There is no grand scheme of things into

which each individual has her/his place or task to fulfill. A

rejection of a pre-determined 'destiny' lies at the very core of ourmovements. J. de Lyser


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Lets try again Why?

We need to state clearly and powerfully that suffering anddeprivation are evil and that we will devote everything we have to

stopping them! And that death is the ultimate deprivation. I hope

we can find a way to express this which will expose the belief in

the value of suffering as the horror that it is. (Hal Finney)

The human relationship with suffering is very similar to the

relationship between hostages and hostage-takers in the

Stockholm Syndrome. (Michael Raimondi)


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What we dontwant

Illness

Involuntary death

Unnecessary suffering

Cruelty

Stunted growth, lost opportunities Memory loss, ignorance, absence of creativity


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Almost enough?

We need to decide that we live, most of us in the West,

long enough. We need to declare that, in the West, where

few of us have to work ourselves to the bone, we have ease

enough. In societies where most of us need storage lockers

more than we need nanotech miracles, we need to declare

that we have enough stuff. Enough intelligence. Enough

capability. Enough. (Bill McKibben)

So why not just tweakthe human condition?

Because there is so much more that we could hope for!


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Patching things up


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But we can do better


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What we do want

Much longer, healthier lives Greater subjective well-being

Enhanced cognitive capacities; more knowledge andunderstanding

Unlimited opportunity for personal growth, beyondour current biological limits

Better relationships

Unbounded potential for spiritual/moral/intellectualdevelopment


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The space of possible modes of being

humans

Humans +

animals

Humans ++

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What are we being enhanced for?

It has perhaps crossed even your dull old-fashionedhuman mind that there is something of an irony at work

here. Even as the genetic engineers work busily to upgrade

us, adding IQ and memory, the robotics engineers are hard

at work making sure well be surpassed, and the

nanotechnologists to make sure that all our wants will be

satisfied by pushing buttons. What, in other words, are webeing enhancedfor? (Bill McKibben)


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Why capacities are good

They have instrumental utility

Their exercise can be intrinsically valuable

Developing greater capacities is a form of growth that manypeople deeply desire

Using and improving ones capacities can be great fun

Hedonic tone can alsobe enhanced separately, but it is noteitherhedonic engineering orincreased capacities: we can do

both

Many human capacities are both extrinsically and intrinsically

valuable:


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The positional goods trap

Opponents of enhancement often pick examples involvingpositional goods

Positional enhancement is a zero-sum game

Positional enhancement may not be harmful, but there is no ethicalcase for promoting them

What is worth promoting: goods that are intrinsically good and/orhave positive externalities

Note: Many enhancements that are partly positional are alsopartlyintrinsically good and instrumentally useful


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Transhumanist values and basic conditions

Basic Conditions Global security

Technological progress

More universal access

Morphological and reproductive liberty

Academic research, ethical analysis, informed public debate

Core Value

All people to have the opportunity to explore the greater,currently inaccessible, realm of possible modes of being.

Enhanced capacities, greater levels of subjective well-being, much longer and healthier lives.


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Levels of Organization

Relationships andCommunity

Societal

Global

Individual


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Dimensions of individual improvement

Health-span

Bodily functionality and morphology

Intellectual capacity

Memory

Concentration

Mental energy

Intelligence

Empathy

Modalities and special faculties

Music

Humor

Eroticism

Spirituality

Aesthetics

Nurturing and caring

Gossip/narration

Affective self-control

Greater subjective well-being

Better able to switch between relaxation/activity

Easier to achieve a flow stateConscientiousness and sympathy

Ability to choose ones emotions, e.g. preserveyour romantic attachment to your partnerundiminished through time.


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Dimensions of global improvement

Peace and security New global threats

Basic social goods and economicresources

Space-colonization

Molecular nanotechnology

Collective rationality

Information markets

Flourishing culture

Justice, freedom, human rights

Morphological freedom

Posthuman dignity


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Between the individual and the global level

Family

Romantic relationships

Marriage

Friendships

Work teams

Trust

Love

Commitment

Dependability

Loyalty

Empathy

Communication


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What we can learn from the Amish

We should be mastersof our technology

Different peoples canlegitimately havedifferent priorities

We want a worldwhere we can chooseour constraints


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The pursuit of many different dreams

To be what you want to be: isnt this the essence of being human?

(Anders Sandberg)

Only one sort of future seems broad enough to have broad appeal:

an open future of liberty, diversity, and peace. With room for the

pursuit of many different dreams, an open future will appeal to

many different people. (Eric Drexler,Engines of Creation)


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Summary: So why aim forbetter than well?

Things can be muchbetter than they are

Protect our right to create for ourselvesthe kinds of futures we want

The future is before us. We have a long,loooong way to go

We dont want to die before we have achance to grow up

We can still have fun in the meantime

the why question dc oct 2004

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