TRANSHUMANISM AND POSTHUMANISM: AN ETHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL APPROACH

Abstract

This article aims at gathering theological elements to build a re­lationship between Christian theology, transhumanism and posthumanism. It focuses mainly on issues of human nature and theological ethics to address both transhumanism and posthumanism, movements that have acquired importance in the areas of science and technology. First, a historical description of the concepts help identify transhumanism as the movement during which a massive allocation of scientific and technological resources was applied to improve and enhance hu­man conditions and abilities. Posthumanism is the result of that first movement, a new condition of being qualified as posthuman. Then, based on K. Rahner, we will show how human nature, in its anthropological sense, is able to transform itself, as long as it keeps its essential quality of autonomy, relationality, freedom and responsibility before the Divine Mystery. Finally, the article points to some ethical requirements for an assessment of both trans-and posthumanism.