The History of Transhumanism: Origins
Summary
Host David Runciman and historian Duncan Bell explore the origins of transhumanism, tracing its roots from Julian Huxley’s 1950s coinage back to post-Darwinian science. They examine how interwar socialist scientists like J.B.S. Haldane and J.D. Bernal, influenced by H.G. Wells, viewed technological enhancement as a necessary response to existential risks. The episode contrasts these early leftist, state-driven visions with modern Silicon Valley iterations, while also distinguishing transhumanism from academic post-humanism.
Topics discussed
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Introduction to the history of transhumanism
Defining transhumanism and its origins
Core beliefs: technological enhancement
Transhumanism vs. post-humanism
Academic vs. popular discourse differences
Transhumanism as a non-academic discourse
Historical roots: ancient to Enlightenment
Debating the starting point of the movement
Democratic vs. exclusive transcendence
The role of Darwinian evolution
Post-Darwinian crystallization in early 20th c.
Anglo-American tradition and genetics
Harnessing evolution and early eugenics
Biological sciences and futurism
Political alignment: left-wing eugenics
Defining eugenics in the interwar period
Socialist transhumanists: Haldane and Bernal
Marxism and the transformation of humanity
Existential risks of capitalism and war
Skepticism and varying political views
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State involvement in scientific research
Taboos and international perspectives
The influence of H.G. Wells
Wells as a social commentator
Wells as the godfather of transhumanism
Beliefs in immortality and telepathy
Deep time and cognitive revolution
Radical visions: Bernal and Haldane
Wells' utopian novel Men Like Gods
Pre-computational extrapolations
Urgency vs. long-term cosmic scales
Political tensions and socialist urgency
Short-term political engagement
Cosmic scales and human potential
Institutions vs. biological nature
Why social change is insufficient
Biological change and political possibility
Utopianism and dystopianism
The impact of the atomic bomb
WWII and the history of nuclear fear
Science fiction and transhumanist culture
Blurring lines between science and fiction
Conclusion and course promotion
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