This book examines the dependence of transhumanist arguments on the credibility of the narratives of meaning in which they are embedded. By taking the key ideas from transhumanist philosophy – the desirability of human self-design and immortality, the elimination of all suffering and the expansion of human autonomy – Michael Hauskeller explores these narratives and the understanding of human nature that informs them. Particular attention is paid to the theory of transhumanism as a form of utopia, stories of human nature, the increasing integration of the radical human enhancement project into the cultural mainstream, and the drive to upgrade from flesh to machine.
Introduction.- 1. Dreams of a Better World.- 2. Stories of Human Nature.- 3. The Twofold Nature of the Transhumanist Human.- 4. The Bioconservative Human.- 5. The Disease of Being Human.- 6. Messy Bodies.- 7. Is Nature Unfair? .- 8. Love Enhancement.- 9. Moral Enhancement.- 10. Animal Enhancement.- Conclusion.- Literature.- Index.