Augmentation

#1

So yea, I just finished Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and it got me thinking about the ethics of augmentation again. Now I feel if someone has lost a limb, or could never use it in the first place then of course they should get a replacement. Augmentation is perfect for that. But where should it stop, if at all? How to we decide how much power is too much? If someone loses their legs and wants legs powerful enough to beat the speed record like it was no thing, do we let them? If someone gets new eyes, and wants to see better than anyone, or even to be able to zoom in and out or see at different spectrums, is that okay? Taking it further, what if we don't just want to fix and improve what we already have, what if we want to add new limbs? Does anyone have the right to have a bunch of mechanical limbs, Dr Octopus style, to help move objects or for whatever they might need them for? Should a person want wings to fly, and it could be done, do we let them? How much change is too much? Where do we draw the line? And, possibly even more importantly, where does humanity end? Are augmented people higher life forms, or are they inhuman?

It's a tricky concept. I honestly think it dwarves even stem cell research. Whereas with stem cells the most I imagine we could do is grow brand new limbs for transplants and what not, augmentation is just that, augmentation. It doesn't end at replacing existing organs and limbs, it could let a person breathe underwater or navigate with the ability of a cat. Possibly claws and all, if you chose.

What do I think? I honestly don't know really. In a heartbeat I'd support it's use in helping the disabled overcome their issues. But do I want to see soldiers that can walk up to the enemy as bullets bounce off them? Would I want the ability to predict how a person will react in conversation to be a readily available tool to sales men, or even con artists? It's hard say. For every bad use, there's an equally good use as well.

So do any of you have an opinion on the subject?

Tav · #2

I'm all for it.
Augmentation or implants or whatever is simply us doing what we've always been doing; using tools and objects instead of our bodies. When you type at a computer or laptop, or when you drive a car, it's just a connection from mind to hand to machine. All augmentation is doing is cutting out the middleman.

#3

I can easily see what you are going at here, Borg.

The horrors of super powered individuals would be plenty, especially in the wrong hands. Yet, the way I think of it, a rule of averages applies. Sure, a soldier walking up to another soldier in a war, bullets bouncing off would be impressive. But what if the other soldier could do the same?

If everyone had these abilities, would it really be a bad thing? Or is it simply... progress?

We can create fire anywhere, and manage calculations in less than seconds with the tools we have now a days. Does that make us any less human than our ancestors?

To me at least, it doesn't.

#4

Well, I'm all for bettering humanity as a whole, but I have some concerns about the timing as far as our mental state goes, availability (namely that it sholdn't be charged for-but that's a whole different tirade) and ability for manipulation-one of the things addressed by Deus Ex with the augmented hacker near the start if I remember right.

#5

Armor I see as somewhat of a separate issue. It's augmentation, but it's not something that requires surgery, since you can just wear it, along with a strength enhancing powered exoskeleton. From what I know about how war is currently done, most civilian deaths occur out of fear and caution. If a soldier can shrug off bullets from an opposing army, they ought to be able to shrug off rocks from protesters without retaliating, and if you can walk right up to a man shooting at you, you can pin him down instead of shooting back. Overall I think war will be changed for the better.

Civilian use is a bit trickier. Once you have an advantage, you can use it to bring further advantages onto yourself. Augmentation could easily widen the divide between rich and poor. I certainly wouldn't want to be reliant on augmentations if they can be remotely controlled, especially my brain, and the way security is going I'm not sure if I could even trust a computer that doesn't even connect to a network, since it could've been compromised before it was even put together. Existing technology already seems designed to restrict us, locking down every function so we can me made to pay for it by the minute.

I think that in some ways I'll be very careful with how I let my body be modified. However, I don't think preserving humanity is something to worry about too much. I don't think people would consider it an augmentation to take away their ability to reason or feel empathy for others, though there are always those who make poor choices. I wouldn't want to allow augmentations to be used an excuse to ignore the rights of others, either by or against those who have them. Mostly, I think people will try to become better at being themselves, which I don't think will be bad for the most part, though we could have more addiction related issues.