THE WILL TO POWER AND THE WILL TO TECHNOLOGY

Roba Megersa Buta
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Roba Megersa Buta: Department of Governance and Development Study, Jimma University

Annals of the University of Craiova for Journalism, Communication and Management, 2019, vol. 5, issue 1, 46-81

Abstract: Nietzsche’s doctrine of übermensch maintains that man should overcome himself through the will to power. Nowadays, transhumanism opts the contemporary emerging enhancement technologies that allow humans to grow beyond all known biological constraints. This thesis critically shows transhumanists effort to accomplish Nietzsche’s vision of the overman as the posthuman through other means. It examines the similarity between Nietzsche’s philosophy and transhumanism’s aspiration to transcend human nature through enhancement technologies. Endorsing the posthuman as its ultimate vision, I argue that transhumanism is inherently interconnected with Nietzsche’s envisage of the overman. Transforming humankind is not a mere ambitious, but logically attainable both traditionally and scientifically. However, radically changing human nature might be dangerous idea in all of human history as some argue, or perhaps the most liberative aspirations of humanity from the pursuits of technoenthusiasts. Hence, critical examination is decisively important to mediate human-technology relationship. Updating human nature and creating new mankind needs not only technological revolution, it also requires a considerable social transformation that involves a profound shift in cultural attitude and values. This study ultimately shows the extent to which transhumanists’ will to technology is embedded in the Nietzsche’s notion of the will to power.

Keywords: human nature; self-overcoming; transhumanism; self-transformation; technologism; übermensch; posthuman; enhancement; emerging technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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