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author: Oleksandr Obiedkov


Urgency of research. Transhuma-nism is a fairly new direction for a number of scientific disciplines. Given the conditions in which the world finds itself in the XXI century, the above-mentioned idea is almost the main characteristic that describes in detail the formation of a new type of humanity. Transhumanism plays a significant role in understanding the phenomena of social life, helps to determine the real place of man in the system of modern worldview paradigms. In addition, globalization, the rapid development of science and the impact of the fourth industrial revolution, also known as "Industry 4.0", have left a serious mark on the essence of man, his character and values.
Transhumanism is gradually advancing in the life of the individual, but its basic postulates are perceived quite ambiguously.

Target setting. This topic has remained urgent in recent decades. Research in philosophy, sociology and number of other disciplines often converge at the point where each of them is forced to address the question of the fate of man, in the formation of which, both mental and physical, began to play a major role the various technologies. New direction of scientific thought, namely transhumanism, has emerged as the answer to these questions.

Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. Number of well-known domestic and foreign scientists have tried to reveal the essence of transhumanism, to analyze its benefits or to identify its potential dangers. To understand the philosophical and ethical aspects of this issue, a considerable set of scientific works was written. The works of N. Bostrom, G. Moravec, R. Kurzweil, J. Huxley, M. More, S. Fuller, J. Harris, A. Buchanan, and R. Sparrow deserve special attention. It is also necessary to thank Ukrainian scientific research. We are talking about the scientific articles of M. A. Ozhevan, V. V. Okorokova, M. L. Shumka, N. B. Kapustina, and L. O. Popsuenko, as well as the thesis of S. S. Denezhnikov. Particular attention should be paid to the views of the philosopher F. Fukuyama, who is one of the most famous critics of the idea of transhumanism.

The research objective. To answer the question of what exactly is transhumanism, we must begin with the preconditions for its emergence and explore in detail what path this paradigm has taken and determine its current state. Also, it is worth paying attention to the views of adherents and critics who have studied this phenomenon. And in the end, to determine whether transhumanism is the right way to truly improve the lives of humanity or another difficult test for our planet. The fundamental ideas of transhumanism were first proposed by a British biochemist J. Haldane. In his 1923 essay "Daedalus; or Science and the Future" he describes how scientific and technological discoveries can change society and improve the human condition. In this work, he predicted that the implementation of advanced sciences to human biology would bring great benefits.
These views inspired another researcher, who is still associated with the birth of transhumanism, namely J. Huxley, who first used the term "Transhumanism" in his work. Under it, Huxley understood humanity’s awareness of the need for self-improvement, or directed revolution.

Conclusions. The idea of transhumanism will be constantly implemented in each sphere of modern society. In the coming decades, thanks to technological progress, the latest scientific fields that will be formed through NBIC-convergence, man will move away from his standard nature, change his mental potential, behavioral component, value system. In terms of evolution, this is probably the way forward. However, we should not forget that man himself is an emotional, irrational being, and the total implementation of the works of the technological world will devastate him, turning it into a mechanism incapable of loving and sacrificing, having and carrying moral and aesthetic values. One way or another, the introduction of the idea of transhumanism requires a compromise between its adherentsf and supporters of conservative views on the social essence of the individual.

Keywords: transhumanism, the fourth industrial revolution, artificial intelligence, individual, N. Bostrom, Humanity+, NBIC-convergence, F. Fukuyama


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