Brain improvement will make us "less human"

Our children will see how biolucent will certainly become common and familiar to human society. Personalized pharmaceuticals will allow us to change our bodies and minds a powerful and accurate ways, and the side effects they will be much less than today. New brain-computer interfaces will improve our memory and cognitive abilities, enhance our senses, will give you direct control over the semi-intelligent devices. Genetic and epigenetic modifications will allow us to change appearance and abilities and emotions, creative or social skills.

Will it not? Not worried?

One of the most insidious consequences of such self-editing is that it will blur the line between people and things. The reason is simple: biolucent — is products. They require machines, chemicals, tools, and methods that evolve over time. They become obsolete after a few years. And they can be bought in the market. Some are better than others and more expensive. Some like cars, jewelry or houses — will be more prestigious.

But if we're not careful, we will ignore the fact that these "products" are changing key aspects of the self of the human being. Without realizing it, we drift into improvements that would reduce the importance of the person to the amount of its modified or unmodified features. We could lose sight of the intrinsic value and dignity and start to compare people as if they are machines or an expensive watch, for example.

The Problem is dehumanising, anonymising is not new — we remember war, colonialism, slavery and serfdom. But as a result of intensification of consumer capitalism in recent decades, we have to compare, to achieve, to constantly increase the reach because of the continuing pressure of everyday life squeezes people like wet rags. Advertising, entertainment and social media encourage us to lose weight, be better, smarter, cooler — in short, to be in constant dissatisfaction with who we are and what we have.

If biolucent person will become widespread in the coming decades, there is every reason to believe that these insidious trends will intensify. The temptation to "get updates" or "find best model" for themselves would be too strong. Instead of saying: "Lena got a new brain implant, but unhappy with his performance," people will say: "Update Lena was good, but Alice is still considerably ahead of her."

Speaking thus crosses an invisible but critically important line. It assesses the person as a commodity that can be measured, evaluated, exchanged. From this point of view, the platform will be all of humanity if the software or the smartphone, the performance of which you can improve, change, buy new. Personality traits will be the "functions" of talent and acquired hard skills will be the "apps" deeply rooted personal problems and experiences will be a "defect". Thus, "humanization" dehumanized human society may be one of the most important moral problems of future generations.

What can I do? First, you need to adopt and promote a personal philosophy that preserves human dignity. Start The Renaissance. Will have to give up the idea and the desire to reduce man to a set of traits or acquisitions. Despite the fact that people can quantitatively calculate the power, mental or other indicators, valuable human being you does not place on the leaderboard, while others, more profound and unique indices.

Second, expose the critical evaluation of the need for today's improvements. The more rooted you become in your daily life a variety of devices, the harder it is to present it in a different mode. Our growing concern about our obsession with smartphones is not in the least reduces the time you use them. As soon as the complex physical and chemical biolucent penetrate into human bodies, no way back will be to evaluate the possible life without them will be harder and harder. It takes a strong imagination: the representation of reality in which the gadgets and habits we daily temporarily go into the background. It's complicated.

Finally, improve himself actually should pass through the prism of welfare, rather than competition or success. Speaking about specific modifications, people should ask the question: "What will she allow me to do what I could not before?". But an even more important question: how this new feature will improve my quality of life? How will it affect my time and relationships with people? How much space for solitude and silence will remain in my life?

As humans we are not just organic beings that draw material from the outside to meet their needs. Tools and technologies become part of us, represent us in parts, and we should be careful what and how to use. Erosion in the human person has already begun and in a sense inevitable. But biolucent bring it to a whole new level. Imagine the freaks who get a real improvement from the modifications of the body, not just cosmetic and decorative weight.