Directed evolution (transhumanism)

Short description: Term in transhumanism

The term directed evolution is used within the transhumanist community to refer to the idea of applying the principles of directed evolution and experimental evolution to the control of human evolution.[1] In this sense, it is distinct from the use of the term in biochemistry, which refers only to the evolution of proteins and RNA. Maxwell J. Melhmanh has described directed evolution of humans as the Holy Grail of transhumanism.[1] Oxford philosopher Julian Savulescu wrote that:

> Humanity until this point has been a story of evolution for the survival genes - survival and reproduction ... we are entering a new phase of human evolution—evolution under reason—where human beings are masters of their destiny. Power has been transferred from nature to science.

According to UCLA biophysicist Gregory Stock:

> Humanity is leaving its childhood and moving into its adolescence as its powers infuse into realms hitherto beyond our reach.

Riccardo Campa, from the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, wrote that "self-directed evolution" can be coupled with many different political, philosophical, and religious views.[2]

## Contents

* 1 Criticism of the term
* 2 Participant evolution
* 3 See also
* 4 References

## Criticism of the term

Andrew Askland from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law claims that referring to transhumanism as directed evolution is problematic because evolution is ateleological and transhumanism is teleological.[3]

## Participant evolution

Participant evolution is an alternative term that refers to the process of deliberately redesigning the human body and brain using technological means, rather than through the natural processes of mutation and natural selection, with the goal of removing "biological limitations" and human enhancement.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] The idea of participant evolution was first put forward by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline in the 1960s in their article Cyborgs and Space,[18] where they argued that the human species was already on a path of participant evolution. Science fiction writers have speculated what the next stage of such participant evolution will be.

Whilst Clynes and Kline saw participant evolution as the process of creating cyborgs, the idea has been adopted and propounded by transhumanists who argue that individuals should have the choice of using human enhancement technologies on themselves and their children, to progressively become transhuman and ultimately posthuman, as part of a voluntary regimen of participant evolution.

## See also

* 2001: A Space Odyssey
* Designer baby
* Eugenics
* Assisted reproductive technology
* Gene doping
* Genome editing
* CRISPR
* Morphological freedom
* Human genetic engineering
* Posthumanism
* Reprogenetics

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Maxwell, Mehlman. "Will Directed Evolution Destroy Humanity, and If So, What Can We Do About It?". 3 St. Louis U.J. Health L. & Pol'y 93, 96-97 (2009]. http://www.slu.edu/Documents/law/SLUJHP/Mehlman_Article.pdf.
2. ↑ Campa, Riccardo. "Toward a transhumanist politics". http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/campa20090622/.
3. ↑ Askland, Andrew (2011). "The Misnomer of Transhumanism as Directed Evolution". International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Society 9 (1): 71–78. https://www.law.asu.edu/Portals/31/Askland_transhumanism_IJETS.pdf.
4. ↑ Sharon, Tamar (11 October 2013). Human Nature in an Age of Biotechnology: The Case for Mediated Posthumanism. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9789400775541. https://books.google.com/books?id=28HEBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA45.
5. ↑ Clarke, Adele E.; Mamo, Laura; Fosket, Jennifer Ruth; Fishman, Jennifer R.; Shim, Janet K. (1 January 2009). Biomedicalization: Technoscience, Health, and Illness in the U.S.. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0822391258. https://books.google.com/books?id=LiOheK_2uZ8C&pg=PA376.
6. ↑ Kline, Ronald R. (25 June 2015). The Cybernetics Moment: Or Why We Call Our Age the Information Age. JHU Press. ISBN 9781421416724. https://books.google.com/books?id=WgPHCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT179.
7. ↑ Gurd, Sean Alexander (1 January 2005). Iphigenias at Aulis: Textual Multiplicity, Radical Philology. Cornell University Press. p. 58. ISBN 9780801443299. https://archive.org/details/iphigeniasatauli00gurd.
8. ↑ Orr, Jackie (8 February 2006). Panic Diaries: A Genealogy of Panic Disorder. Duke University Press. p. 169. https://archive.org/details/panicdiariesgene0000orrj.
9. ↑ Mazan, Tobiasz (17 April 2015). "Transcend the Flesh: Transhumanism debate". Tobiasz Mazan. https://books.google.com/books?id=Ix1HCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA7.
10. ↑ Blake, Charlie; Molloy, Claire; Shakespeare, Steven (15 March 2012). Beyond Human: From Animality to Transhumanism. A&C Black. ISBN 9781441150110. https://books.google.com/books?id=g7mZw8FSHpwC.
11. ↑ Riha, Daniel (28 December 2016). Frontiers of Cyberspace. Rodopi. ISBN 978-9401208581. https://books.google.com/books?id=7CIeXt8yIhkC&pg=PA9.
12. ↑ Collard, Andrée; Contrucci, Joyce (1 January 1989). Rape of the Wild: Man's Violence Against Animals and the Earth. Indiana University Press. p. 125. https://archive.org/details/rapeofwildmansvi0000coll.
13. ↑ Wolf, Milton T. (1 January 1997). Shaw and Science Fiction. Penn State Press. ISBN 0271016817. https://books.google.com/books?id=pDg3jDHDBSUC&pg=PA94.
14. ↑ "Drugs, Space, and Cybernetics: Evolution to Cyborgs". 1961. http://www.microsoundmusic.com/home/microsound/.blogs/post8883/Drugs, Space, and Cybernetics; Evolution to Cyborgs.pdf.
15. ↑ "Manfred Clynes and the Cyborg". by Chris Hables Gray. http://www.routledge-ny.com/ref/cyborgcitizen/cycitpgs/clynes.html.
which in turn cites an interview with Manfred E. Clynes in
Gray, Mentor, and Figueroa-Sarriera (1995). The Cyborg Handbook. New York: Routledge.
pages 29–34, which in turn cites
Clynes, Manfred E.; Nathan S. Kline (1960). "Cyborgs and Space". Astronautics September: 26–27 and 74–75. http://web.mit.edu/digitalapollo/Documents/Chapter1/cyborgs.pdf.
16. ↑ "Cyborg Systems". ISTF Brochures. http://www.itsf.org/brochure/cyborg.html.
17. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions about Transhumanism". Futurist Transhuman Think Tank. http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/9356/Webfaqs1.htm.
18. ↑ Clynes, Manfred E.; Nathan S. Kline (1960). "Cyborgs and Space". Astronautics September. http://web.mit.edu/digitalapollo/Documents/Chapter1/cyborgs.pdf.

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