Transhumanism, Science and Religion

Primitive religion enables human beings to draw connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, or ultimate questions (Geraci 2006: 229). All religions’ aim to answer ultimate questions such as ‘what happens when we die?’. Now, in an ever-changing scientific world, transhumanists are attempting to answer this question for us in new light. However, they view it as a challenge and a quiz that can be solved. Instead of accepting that there is a heaven or that karma will predict our next lives, these new-thinkers see the question as ‘what happens if we do not die?’ and ‘how can we make this happen?’. Therefore, they search for the question every religious person wants to answer, but believe they can do this by altering our biological bodies for immortal life on Earth, not in heaven. Therefore, in today’s society, religion and science are arguably beginning to merge into a term called transhumanism.

Despite the prevailing secular attitudes, some transhumanists pursue hopes traditionally espoused by religions, such as immortality albeit a physical one. As Tirosh-Samuelson (2012: 710) highlights, “rapid technological developments inspire the hope that human beings will live longer, healthier, and happier lives because technologies will remove biological imperfections and the social ills they cause.” Several belief systems, termed new religious movements, originating in the late twentieth century, share with transhumanism the goals of transcending the human condition by applying technology to the alteration of the body and mind. For example, the movement called Scientology focuses on transcending the human condition by applying technology to the alteration of the mind. Like transhumanists, Scientology adherents focus on the practical goals of using technology to help achieve longer and healthier lives. It can therefore be argued that there are similarities between transhumanism and Scientology. Additionally, there is, to some extent, a continuing dialogue between transhumanism and other faiths.

New religious movements, such as Scientology, are adopting technology and accepting it within religious practice. Considering the future of religion, will all religions come to adopt technology to some extent in a constant developing and digital world? Will it become necessary for religions to merge with technology to stay alive and thriving? Or will it be the lack of technology that will draw people into their faiths to escape the future industrialised world? Which road will religion take?

References

Geraci, R.M. (2006). Spiritual Robots: Religion and Our Scientific View of the Natural World. Theology and Science, 4(3), 229-246

Tirosh-Samuelson, H. (2012). Transhumanism as a Secular Faith. Zygon, 47(4), 710-734