The Transhumanist FAQ

Jul 6, 2026

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Nick Bostrom’s “The Transhumanist FAQ” presents a structured overview of transhumanism, defining key terms such as transhuman, posthuman, and the core idea that human development is not complete. The document surveys expected enabling technologies (biotechnology, molecular nanotechnology, superintelligence, virtual reality, cryonics, and uploading), then examines societal, political, ethical, ecological, and philosophical implications, including risk, regulation, inequality, eugenics concerns, and how transhumanism relates to religion. Practical sections discuss timelines, uncertainty, personal engagement, and pathways toward posthuman status.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages56

Reading Time1 h 26 min

General questions about transhumanism

What is transhumanism?

What is a posthuman?

What is a transhuman?

Technologies and projections

Biotechnology, genetic engineering, stem cells, and cloning

What is molecular nanotechnology?

What is superintelligence?

What is virtual reality?

What is cryonics and can it succeed?

What is uploading?

What is the singularity?

Society and politics

Benefits, inequality, and power

Eugenics concerns

Risks and extinction

Regulation and risk reduction

Current problems vs “far” future planning

Overpopulation and life extension

Ethical standards for “improvement”

Life in posthuman society

Threat to unaugmented humans

Transhumanism and nature

Wanting to live longer

Tampering with nature

Making us inhuman

Death and natural order

Environmental soundness

Transhumanism as a philosophical and cultural viewpoint

Philosophical and cultural antecedents

Internal currents and extropianism

Relation to religion

Soul concerns for uploading/cryonics/AI

Transhumanist art

Practicalities

Reasons to expect changes

Timelines

What if it doesn’t work?

How to use transhumanism in daily life

How to become a posthuman

Life forever and boredom

Getting involved and contributing

!"\# !$%&'"()%&*'+ ,-. ! "\#$\#%&' ($)%*+,-).*$ Version 2.1 (2003) Nick Bostrom* Faculty of Philosophy Oxford University * Please see endnote for document history and acknowledgments. Published by the World Transhumanist Association [www.](www.nickbostrom.com)[nickbostrom.com](www.nickbostrom.com) CONTENTS 1 GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT TRANSHUMANISM....................................4 1.1 What is transhumanism? ................................................................................. 4 1.2 What is a posthuman? ..................................................................................... 5 1.3 What is a transhuman? .................................................................................... 6 2 TECHNOLOGIES AND PROJECTIONS ............................................................. 7 2.1 Biotechnology, genetic engineering, stem cells, and cloning – what are they and what are they good for? ........................................................................................ 7 2.2 What is molecular nanotechnology? ............................................................... 9 2.3 What is superintelligence? ............................................................................ 12 2.4 What is virtual reality? .................................................................................. 14 2.5 What is cryonics? Isn’t the probability of success too small?....................... 15 2.6 What is uploading? ........................................................................................ 17 2.7 What is the singularity? ................................................................................. 19 3 SOCIETY AND POLITICS.................................................................................. 20 3.1 Will new technologies only benefit the rich and powerful?.......................... 20 3.2 Do transhumanists advocate eugenics? ......................................................... 21 3.3 Aren’t these future technologies very risky? Could they even cause our extinction? ................................................................................................................. 22 3.4 If these technologies are so dangerous, should they be banned? What can be done to reduce the risks? ........................................................................................... 25 3.5 Shouldn’t we concentrate on current problems such as improving the situation of the poor, rather than putting our efforts into planning for the “far”future? 27 3.6 Will extended life worsen overpopulation problems?................................... 28 3.7 Is there any ethical standard by which transhumanists judge “improvement of the human condition”? .............................................................................................. 31 3.8 What kind of society would posthumans live in? ......................................... 32 3.9 Will posthumans or superintelligent machines pose a threat to humans who aren’t augmented? ..................................................................................................... 33 4 TRANSHUMANISM AND NATURE................................................................. 34 4.1 Why do transhumanists want to live longer? ................................................ 34 4.2 Isn’t this tampering with nature?................................................................... 35 4.3 Will transhuman technologies make us inhuman?........................................ 36 4.4 Isn’t death part of the natural order of things? .............................................. 36 4.5 Are transhumanist technologies environmentally sound?............................. 38 5 TRANSHUMANISM AS A PHILOSOPHICAL AND CULTURAL VIEWPOINT................................................................................................................. 38 5.1 What are the philosophical a

FAQs

What is transhumanism, according to the document?

Transhumanism is a way of thinking about the future that treats the current human condition as an early phase, and it frames the project as fundamentally improving the human being in intellectual and cultural terms.

Which technologies and projections does the document discuss?

It covers biotechnology and related medical techniques, molecular nanotechnology, superintelligence, virtual reality, cryonics, uploading, and the singularity, presenting what they are for and how they relate to future change.

What societal and political concerns are raised?

The document addresses whether new technologies mainly benefit the rich and powerful, whether transhumanists are associated with eugenics, how risky these technologies may be (including existential risk), and whether they should be regulated or banned to reduce harm.

Jul 6, 2026

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