Metamorphosis of the humanistic worldview: transhumanism as the antipode of humanism and its form

Abstract

. The article analyzes the relationship between the philosophical core of human-ist and the philosophical core of transhumanist worldviews, assessing the prospects of human-ist and transhumanist discussions and searching for such a strategy of philosophical argument and research that would provide guidance for human practice, including the use of biomedical technologies. The article reconstructs the genesis of the philosophical core of the humanistic worldview and shows its preconditions and limitations, which were formed in late antique and Christian anthropology. The author reveals the reasons why, despite philosophical criticism and anti-humanistic historical realities of the 20th century, humanism has retained its leading position in shaping the worldview of modern man. The article reveals the essence of transhumanist anthropological project as an attempt to reform the classical humanism, taking into account the key theoretical shifts that took place both in philosophical anthropology and in the development of natural human sciences. An analysis of the debate between transhumanists and their critics is presented. In particular, it is shown that transhumanists perform themselves as modernists, while humanists act as conservatives, advocating the need to reject any improving interventions as potentially threatening human extinction. It has been argued that the dispute revolves around an unknown variable — the quality that makes a person human, but is not un-ambiguously defined. While the transhumanists declare this quality to be an illusion, the humanists appeal to it, which makes their position inherently more vulnerable. The conclusion is made that it is necessary to broaden the scope of research and discussion, which is possible, taking into account the results obtained in such directions as post-, anti- and metahumanism.