Democratic transhumanism, a term coined by James Hughes in 2002, refers to the stance of transhumanists (advocates for the development and use of human enhancement technologies) who espouse liberal, social, and/or radical democratic political views. Philosophy%DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% According to Hughes, the ideology "stems from the assertion that human beings will generally be happier when they take rational control of the natural and social forces that control their lives." The ethical foundation of democratic transhumanism rests upon rule utilitarianism and non-anthropocentric personhood theory. Democratic transhumanist support equal access to human enhancement technologies in order to promote social equality and to prevent technologies from furthering the divide among the socioeconomic classes. While raising objections both to right-wing and left-wing bioconservatism, and libertarian transhumanism, Hughes aims to encourage democratic transhumanists and their potential progressive allies to unite as a new social movement and influence biopolitical public policy. An attempt to expand the middle ground between technorealism and techno-utopianism, democratic transhumanism can be seen as a radical form of techno-progressivism. Appearing several times in Hughes' work, the term "radical" (from Latin rādīx, rādīc-, root) is used as an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the root or going to the root. His central thesis is that emerging technologies and radical democracy can help citizens overcome some of the root causes of inequalities of power.%DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% According to Hughes, the terms techno-progressivism and democratic transhumanism both refer to the same set of Enlightenment values and principles; however, the term technoprogressive has replaced the use of the word democratic transhumanism. Trends Hughes has identified 15 "left futurist" or "left techno-utopian" trends and projects that could be incorporated into democratic transhumanism:%DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% Afrofuturism Assistive technology-enabled disabled people Biopunk science fiction and movement Body modification culture Cyborg feminism/cyberfeminism Feminist science fiction Lesbian science fiction, Gay science fiction, Bisexual science fiction, and Transgender science fiction Nanosocialism Free software movement Post-Darwinian leftism Postcyberpunk science fiction Post-work/guaranteed minimum income movement Technogaianism Up-wing politics Viridian design movement List of democratic transhumanists These are notable individuals who have identified themselves, or have been identified by Hughes, as advocates of democratic transhumanism:%DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% Charles Stross George Dvorsky Giulio Prisco Justice De Thézier Ken MacLeod Mark Alan Walker Martine Rothblatt Ramez Naam Riccardo Campa Criticism%DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% Science journalist Ronald Bailey wrote a review of Citizen Cyborg in his online column for Reason magazine in which he offered a critique of democratic transhumanism and a defense of libertarian transhumanism. Critical theorist Dale Carrico defended democratic transhumanism from Bailey's criticism. However, he would later criticize democratic transhumanism himself on technoprogressive grounds.%DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% References External links Cyborg Democracy Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies Transmocracy
 %DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% %DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% %DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% %DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% %DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% %DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% REDIRECT Transhumanist politics#Democratic transhumanism
D
Democratic transhumanism, a term coined by James Hughes in 2002, refers to the stance of transhumanists (advocates for the development and use of human enhancement technologies) who espouse liberal, social, and/or radical democratic political views.
D
Philosophy
D
According to Hughes, the ideology "stems from the assertion that human beings will generally be happier when they take rational control of the natural and social forces that control their lives." The ethical foundation of democratic transhumanism rests upon rule utilitarianism and non-anthropocentric personhood theory. Democratic transhumanist support equal access to human enhancement technologies in order to promote social equality and to prevent technologies from furthering the divide among the socioeconomic classes. While raising objections both to right-wing and left-wing bioconservatism, and libertarian transhumanism, Hughes aims to encourage democratic transhumanists and their potential progressive allies to unite as a new social movement and influence biopolitical public policy.
D
An attempt to expand the middle ground between technorealism and techno-utopianism, democratic transhumanism can be seen as a radical form of techno-progressivism. Appearing several times in Hughes' work, the term "radical" (from Latin rādīx, rādīc-, root) is used as an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the root or going to the root. His central thesis is that emerging technologies and radical democracy can help citizens overcome some of the root causes of inequalities of power.
D
According to Hughes, the terms techno-progressivism and democratic transhumanism both refer to the same set of Enlightenment values and principles; however, the term technoprogressive has replaced the use of the word democratic transhumanism.
D
Trends Hughes has identified 15 "left futurist" or "left techno-utopian" trends and projects that could be incorporated into democratic transhumanism:
D
Afrofuturism Assistive technology-enabled disabled people Biopunk science fiction and movement Body modification culture Cyborg feminism/cyberfeminism Feminist science fiction Lesbian science fiction, Gay science fiction, Bisexual science fiction, and Transgender science fiction Nanosocialism Free software movement Post-Darwinian leftism Postcyberpunk science fiction Post-work/guaranteed minimum income movement Technogaianism Up-wing politics Viridian design movement
D
List of democratic transhumanists These are notable individuals who have identified themselves, or have been identified by Hughes, as advocates of democratic transhumanism:
D
Charles Stross George Dvorsky Giulio Prisco Justice De Thézier Ken MacLeod Mark Alan Walker Martine Rothblatt Ramez Naam Riccardo Campa
D
Criticism
D
Science journalist Ronald Bailey wrote a review of Citizen Cyborg in his online column for Reason magazine in which he offered a critique of democratic transhumanism and a defense of libertarian transhumanism.
D
Critical theorist Dale Carrico defended democratic transhumanism from Bailey's criticism. However, he would later criticize democratic transhumanism himself on technoprogressive grounds.
D
References
R
External links Cyborg Democracy Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies Transmocracy
REDIRECT Transhumanist politics#Democratic transhumanism