Transhumanism and its Genesis: The Shaping of Human Enhancement Discourse by Visions of the Future

Abstract

Current discourse on human enhancement is strongly influenced by far-reaching, radical visions concerning the future of human corporeality and civilisation. These visions are most forcefully brought into the discussions by proponents of transhumanism, which constitutes both a worldview and a sociocultural movement that is increasingly influential in academia, industry and other sectors of society. Aiming to shed new light on our societies’ current fascination with human enhancement discourse, three narratives concerning the genesis of transhumanism and the attractiveness of this worldview are presented. Such a historically interpretative approach may give rise to a new reflexive stance on current enhancement discourse.