Stross on transhumanism and equality
Sep. 4th, 2009 07:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sawylStross has an interesting, if wrong, post on transhumanism and the future of equality. My problem with his take on things is that he seems to see technologically induced differences between individuals as essentially different from any inequalities that exist today. I can't see it myself. I mean, sure, in future it may be possible to improve your childrens' prospects by cramming their heads full of smart metal, but I can't see how this is any different to improving their prospects by paying for them to go to private schools.
I'm also not sure that I agree with Stross' version of enlightenment equality. The point, it seems to me, isn't so much that people are equal because they're manifestly not — think about trying to out-sprint Usain Bolt. Rather, the concept of equality is a normative one: that we should behave as if other people are of equal value and equal worth, regardless of any accidental differences that might seem to mark them apart.
Looked at in this way, I can't see that transhumanism presents any more or less of a problem than our existing problems with equality. I certainly can't see why, simply because any future inequalities might be due to technology rather than accident of birth, there might be a categorical difference between the two.
I'm also not sure that I agree with Stross' version of enlightenment equality. The point, it seems to me, isn't so much that people are equal because they're manifestly not — think about trying to out-sprint Usain Bolt. Rather, the concept of equality is a normative one: that we should behave as if other people are of equal value and equal worth, regardless of any accidental differences that might seem to mark them apart.
Looked at in this way, I can't see that transhumanism presents any more or less of a problem than our existing problems with equality. I certainly can't see why, simply because any future inequalities might be due to technology rather than accident of birth, there might be a categorical difference between the two.
