Virtually Human?

As humans, we are motivated and driven by our needs. Our primary needs are physiological; food, sex, and comfort. At the current state of society, these needs are quite often not met, leading to all kinds of consequences.

In fully realised virtual immersion, satisfying these needs is as simple as programming the environment. The implications of this are profound, and will change the fabric of society.

Even now we see the impact of desires being met with virtual reality. Millions of online gamers are able to live virtual lives that are better than real lives, having adventures, being different people, and fulfilling their fantasies, albeit via a keyboard and monitor. Not only does this cause reduced productivity for society, it changes our psyches.

In realising that these fantasies are possible, our general expectations in life are altered. Our priorities are distorted.

Our morals and ethics are altered by the alternative environments we occupy - we are a product of our environments after all. If our environment provides us with all we need, we remove many aspects of our humanity in an instant, both positive and negative.

As well as our environments, we are defined by our bio-chemistry. Testosterone changes men's personality as estrogens does women's. What happens when we can control the brain more intimately and more precisely by artificial means in a similar way to hormones?

Without food, where do we focus our efforts? With ultimate sex, what impact does this have on relationships, sexuality, love, friendship, reproduction, or even sex? What will become of violence without anything to cause it? Without suffering, will we retain the concept of good with nothing to contrast it?

What will we become without the primitive animal urges that made us human in the first place?


Image by myvirtuallady

Comments

Anonymous said…
I virtually dug this..
17 December 2009 at 06:01
BoomWav said…
Well said. In fact, you are really nailing the real question. Care if I try to answer?

Humanity is not defined by our ability to die or to cause pain. Humanity is what we decide to make of it. If, as you say, we start enhancing our life with technology, we'll still be human, it's the definition of what it is to be one that will have changed. How we decide to change shouldn't be decided by what we fear or what we were but definitely toward what we want to become.
29 January 2010 at 13:23
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