Bostrom, "Why I Want to be a Posthuman When I Grow Up," 11 Human Nature

by Corry Shores
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Is Human Nature the Same as PostHuman Nature?

Nick Bostrom

"Why I Want to be a Posthuman When I Grow Up"

XI. Human Nature

Bostrom considers two different ideas for what our human "telos" might be.

1) From an evolutionary, naturalistic standpoint, our human traits provide for our fitness. These traits better allow us to promulgate our genes. But one posthuman value is changing one's own genes.

The problem with this view is that it considers moral whatever better allows us to spread our genes. Not many moral philosophers take this position.

2) Humans are rational beings who should develop their intellects.

But this of course is one of the basic tenets of posthumanism as well.

3) Humans by nature overcome limits.

Again, this is another tenet of posthumanism.

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Nick Bostrom. "Why I Want to be a Posthuman When I Grow Up." Forthcoming in Medical Enhancement and Posthumanity, eds. Bert Gordijn and Ruth Chadwick (Springer), 2007.

PDF available at:

http://www.nickbostrom.com/posthuman.pdf