Genetic enhancement, human extinction, and the best interests of posthumanity

Abstract

The cumulative impact of enhancement technologies may alter the human species in the very long-term future. In this article, I will start showing how radical genetic enhancements may accelerate the conversion into a novel species. I will also clarify the concepts of 'biological species', 'transhuman' and 'posthuman'. Then, I will summarize some ethical arguments for creating a transhuman or posthuman species with a substantially higher level of well-being than the human one. In particular, I will present what I shall call the Principle of the Best Interests of Posthumanity, which states that the enhancement of the human and transhuman species must be directed towards the creation of a posthuman existence that is substantially more valuable than its predecessors. I suggest that human extinction may be considered, within that principle, as one of the best interests of posthumanity. Finally, I will develop three objections that make that principle unattractive and that show that pursuing a full-blown programme of posthuman evolution is ethically flawed.

The morally disruptive future of reprogenetic enhancement technologies

“…Another question is whether these technologies will accelerate the conversion into another (posthuman) species in the very long term. This is indeed a hypothetically plausible scenario [11]. If this happens, perhaps in the remote future there will be changes to the widespread view that humans occupy the pinnacle of moral status-which could be occupied by some improved descendant of our species.…”

Degree of enhancement: A theoretical and formal definition

“…The idea of DoE is not innovative. Scholars had indirectly mentioned radical enhancers (vs. moderate) before (Rueda, 2022 ), or “degrees of enhancement” (e.g., Brownsword, 2009 ), and affirmed that “human enhancement is a good thing, but one that it's possible to have too much of” (Agar, 2013 , p. 1). Although, to the author's knowledge, no proper theoretical conceptualization has ever been developed.…”