The purpose of the article is a critical analysis of the transhumanist arguments supporting human enhancement technologies. The author distinguishes, using Peter Sloterdijk`s conception of anthropotechnics as a theoretical ground, scientific and philosophical premises of the contemporary field of discussion on human being articulated in the Twentieth Century, from witch transhumanism inherits the ideas of imperfection and impairment of our species, particularly – the concept of neoteny of L. Bolk. Through analysis of the perception of disability problem by transhumanists the author reveals contradictions between the declared principle of inclusivity and the real aims of enhancement projects. The image of super-crip, created in popular culture and used by proponents of enhancement, is chosen as an example of the commercial engagement of transhumanism. The author argues that the risks of increasing marginalization and stigmatization of the disabled are possible through further exploitation of the mentioned image. The transhumanist concept of corporeity, which reduces all meaningful representations of human activity to the brain, is also taken into account. Considering human beings from the reductionist perspective brings proponents of human enhancement to the equivalence between body and physical object, the artifact which can be designed, corrected and invaded to the point of total substitution of limbs and organs by artificial prosthesis and implants. The author concludes that one of the main transhumanist aims is to decrease the space of individual volitional efforts of forming ones personality.
transhumanism, anthropothecnics, human enhancement, risk, philosophical anthropology
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