Reflections on Perspectives of Transhumanism, Buddhist Transhumanism, and Buddhist Modernism on the Self
NanoEthics October 21, 2023 Vera Borrmann 4 citations
A claim by Buddhist-affine scholars that transhumanism and Buddhism are compatible because both aim to alleviate suffering and attain stable happiness is challenged. Since the 1980s, dialogues between Tibetan Buddhism and scientists have produced new interpretations like 'Buddhist modernism.' However, two arguments show why Buddhist transhumanism is difficult to reconcile with Buddhist terminology, values, and methods: the difference between contemplative practices like meditation and the use of human enhancement technologies, and differences in self-understanding between Western science and Buddhism.