Extending the Transhuman Person: Religious Practices as Cognitive Technological Enhancements
Transhumanism embraces the use of technology to enhance human capabilities. In keeping with traditional theories of cognition, transhumanists typically assume that mental capacities are organism-bound (or brain-bound), and enhancement is thus achieved exclusively by modifying the human organism. How...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| author | Tobias Tanton |
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| author_sort | Tobias Tanton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Transhumanism embraces the use of technology to enhance human capabilities. In keeping with traditional theories of cognition, transhumanists typically assume that mental capacities are organism-bound (or brain-bound), and enhancement is thus achieved exclusively by modifying the human organism. However, 4E cognition challenges this assumption. Instead, understanding the mind as extended or scaffolded highlights how cognitive processes recruit environmental resources to perform their tasks. Therefore, as Andy Clark argues, cognitive enhancement is no longer restricted to modifications of the biological organism but is also achieved by using cognitive tools or niches that allow brain–body–world coalitions to perform more efficient or more sophisticated cognitive functions. Hence, humans are ‘natural-born cyborgs’ who have long been using environmental resources to enhance cognitive abilities. In this article, I extend this analysis to religion. Drawing on recent work on 4E cognition in religious practices, I argue that religious practices can themselves be understood as ‘cognitive technologies’ that count as enhancements. These insights from cognitive science serve to reframe the dialog between Christian theology and transhumanism: (1) enhancements are reframed as belonging to a long history of self-modification, rather than being the sole purview of the future, (2) humans should be understood as intrinsically technological, and (3) theologians are already in the enhancement game and, conversely, transhumanists should consider religious practices. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1c8910ebac96497a9582aaa7c0aa4f51 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj-art-1c8910ebac96497a9582aaa7c0aa4f512025-08-20T03:43:57ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442025-02-0116327210.3390/rel16030272Extending the Transhuman Person: Religious Practices as Cognitive Technological EnhancementsTobias Tanton0Faculty of Theology and Religion & Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JD, UKTranshumanism embraces the use of technology to enhance human capabilities. In keeping with traditional theories of cognition, transhumanists typically assume that mental capacities are organism-bound (or brain-bound), and enhancement is thus achieved exclusively by modifying the human organism. However, 4E cognition challenges this assumption. Instead, understanding the mind as extended or scaffolded highlights how cognitive processes recruit environmental resources to perform their tasks. Therefore, as Andy Clark argues, cognitive enhancement is no longer restricted to modifications of the biological organism but is also achieved by using cognitive tools or niches that allow brain–body–world coalitions to perform more efficient or more sophisticated cognitive functions. Hence, humans are ‘natural-born cyborgs’ who have long been using environmental resources to enhance cognitive abilities. In this article, I extend this analysis to religion. Drawing on recent work on 4E cognition in religious practices, I argue that religious practices can themselves be understood as ‘cognitive technologies’ that count as enhancements. These insights from cognitive science serve to reframe the dialog between Christian theology and transhumanism: (1) enhancements are reframed as belonging to a long history of self-modification, rather than being the sole purview of the future, (2) humans should be understood as intrinsically technological, and (3) theologians are already in the enhancement game and, conversely, transhumanists should consider religious practices.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/3/272embodied cognition4E cognitionextended mindtranshumanismAndy Clarkreligious transhumanism |
| spellingShingle | Tobias Tanton Extending the Transhuman Person: Religious Practices as Cognitive Technological Enhancements Religions embodied cognition 4E cognition extended mind transhumanism Andy Clark religious transhumanism |
| title | Extending the Transhuman Person: Religious Practices as Cognitive Technological Enhancements |
| title_full | Extending the Transhuman Person: Religious Practices as Cognitive Technological Enhancements |
| title_fullStr | Extending the Transhuman Person: Religious Practices as Cognitive Technological Enhancements |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extending the Transhuman Person: Religious Practices as Cognitive Technological Enhancements |
| title_short | Extending the Transhuman Person: Religious Practices as Cognitive Technological Enhancements |
| title_sort | extending the transhuman person religious practices as cognitive technological enhancements |
| topic | embodied cognition 4E cognition extended mind transhumanism Andy Clark religious transhumanism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/3/272 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tobiastanton extendingthetranshumanpersonreligiouspracticesascognitivetechnologicalenhancements |