Philosophically Speaking: Annals of the International Philosophy Grou Philosophical-Annals-II-2017 | Page 11
Of Mind and Money: Post-Scarcity Economics and Human Nature
nature thus becomes a crisis to be scientifically analyzed and corrected rather than an
anthropological project to be observed and discussed.
The Ethics of Enlightenment
Would this approach raise concerns? By all means: Does genetically resetting human
neurobiology cross medical and/or ethical lines? Might this approach be considered
Eugenics? Should any group or societal class have the authority to proceed with such a
project? And so on. How might these issues be addressed – and are they, even in principle,
addressable? On the other hand, are they in principle very different from other medical-
model-based interventions?
Consider bioaugmentation applied to a serious disease: Imagine the development of a
completely safe genetic treatment for cancer using – the same protocol hypothesized for
resetting human nature. Despite the technology, delivery vector and safety of this cancer
eradication protocol being equivalent to those of the universal transformation of human
nature, it is likely that the former would encounter far less resistance than the latter. Why
might this be the case? Several possible explanations come to mind:
While eliminating cancer is clearly perceived as a medical protocol focused on a range
of terrible diseases, human nature is decidedly not seen as a disease state despite the
parallels in symptomology (that is, where the problems and crises endemic in human
society are seen as symptoms of many of our evolutionarily-determined behaviors)
A nonspecific fear of medical or genetic technology that operates at a scale or in a
manner that people do not understand
There may be a religious factor at play, as evidenced by the belief by a remarkable
number of people (despite the tremendous advances in evolution and genetics) that
human beings did not evolve from earlier hominids, but rather were created by a
divinity in that divinity’s image
In the above situations, education and social programs may be very helpful in laying the