So, lets play pretend.
You are in the best health of your life. You have no conditions and your heredity shows you are not at risk for anything major. You're well fit and have excellent reflexes. You are smart, and pretty much the ideal human. As close as a human could get. Yep, a human.
But, what if you could be more. What if you could be augmented. You've been tested, and you have a incredibly high chance of accepting the augmentations with little issues. But....would you do it.
Would you give up basically your humanity, your 'purity' to become something more then a man was ever intended to do. Extend you life close to immortality. Stronger, faster, smarter, more capable then any other human could be.
Let ignore for a moment the whole government controlling you, the drug addiction, and various other issues that are brought up in Dues Ex: Human Revolution. This is strictly a human vs. augmentation contemplation. So, would you remove yourself from humanity to become something....different, but possibly greater?
As for me, if I was in that situation, yes. Even if you included all those other factors (gov, drugs, etc). I still do it, if only for my chance to live longer and see what the world will become.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Game » consists of 17 releases. Released Aug 23, 2011
Human Revolution is the third game in the Deus Ex series, a prequel where players take control of augmented security officer Adam Jensen, and investigate attacks against Sarif Industries, a leader in augmentation technology.
So.....would you do it?
"Give up your humanity". What does that even mean? Does someone in a wheelchair give up their humanity? What about someone with a prosthetic leg? These are people using technology to improve the quality of their lives. If the technology existed that would increase performance far beyond the norm, then why shouldn't someone do it?
I see no moral problem with such augmentations. It only comes down to weighing the pros and the cons.
Unless I was a soldier I would see little need for physical improvements, but if I could safely implant a chip in my head that would improve my mental function? Absolutely I would do it. Imagine downloading a foreign language and instantly being able to speak like a native speaker. That would be amazing.
@Yorick said:
Do they have all feeling in their augmentations?
This is basically the same concern I have about this. You need a lot of...I'm tired...nervecells? to be able to feel any sort of touch, if I can't feel my arms or legs then that would be pretty lame (Oh, a pun!).
And if I could, would I even want to? with them being so hard it would probably feel pretty weird. Maybe if they were made up of plastics with synthetic skin or something, but that still seems like it would require more maintence than my regular arms that just autorenew themselves.
I say pass.
@McGhee_the_Insomniac said:
"Give up your humanity". What does that even mean? Does someone in a wheelchair give up their humanity? What about someone with a prosthetic leg? These are people using technology to improve the quality of their lives. If the technology existed that would increase performance far beyond the norm, then why shouldn't someone do it?
I see no moral problem with such augmentations. It only comes down to weighing the pros and the cons.
Unless I was a soldier I would see little need for physical improvements, but if I could safely implant a chip in my head that would improve my mental function? Absolutely I would do it. Imagine downloading a foreign language and instantly being able to speak like a native speaker. That would be amazing.
Pretty much what this guy said.
Don't let Hollywood and Christian/Purist propaganda cloud your judgment. There is no such thing as "giving up" your humanity. Your body does not make you human; your conscience and memories do. As long as those are intact, and I still look humanoid, then hell yeah, I would augment the fuck out of myself.
Simply because you aren't really a human anymore. You aren't made of flesh, you aren't naturally made any more. You are a factory made cyborg pretty much. And yes there are great advantages, but you are not a human. If you become fully augmented, nothing about your body is natural from the world. You are created to become pretty much a machine. One with emotions (presumably). And yes, if you have conditions like you say, then that's fine. But that was not what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about someone who would do it, because if they don't they wont live, or they wont be able to do things most other humans can. (amputees, paraplegics, etc.) So that's why in my post I specifically stated that wasn't part of the equation I asked. I wanted to know if you were perfectly normal and healthy, would you be willing to sacrifice what made you a human (out side of emotions. I not saying you become robots, just not being a human) would you do it?"Give up your humanity". What does that even mean? Does someone in a wheelchair give up their humanity? What about someone with a prosthetic leg? These are people using technology to improve the quality of their lives. If the technology existed that would increase performance far beyond the norm, then why shouldn't someone do it?
I see no moral problem with such augmentations. It only comes down to weighing the pros and the cons.
Unless I was a soldier I would see little need for physical improvements, but if I could safely implant a chip in my head that would improve my mental function? Absolutely I would do it. Imagine downloading a foreign language and instantly being able to speak like a native speaker. That would be amazing.
@McGhee_the_Insomniac said:
"Give up your humanity". What does that even mean? Does someone in a wheelchair give up their humanity? What about someone with a prosthetic leg? These are people using technology to improve the quality of their lives. If the technology existed that would increase performance far beyond the norm, then why shouldn't someone do it?
I see no moral problem with such augmentations. It only comes down to weighing the pros and the cons.
Unless I was a soldier I would see little need for physical improvements, but if I could safely implant a chip in my head that would improve my mental function? Absolutely I would do it. Imagine downloading a foreign language and instantly being able to speak like a native speaker. That would be amazing.
Pretty much what this guy said.
Don't let Hollywood and Christian/Purist propaganda cloud your judgment. There is no such thing as "giving up" your humanity. Your body does not make you human; your conscience and memories do. As long as those are intact, and I still look humanoid, then hell yeah, I would augment the fuck out of myself.
Except, I'm not. I'm not posting this because I think you should be purist, in fact I think the opposite, but I just wanted to know of others opinions. It intrigues me and I believe everyone has a personal opinion on it.
Hell yes, in a heartbeat.
@byterunner said:
@Yorick said:@RockmanBionics:Do they have all feeling in their augmentations?I'd assume, though, maybe not.
Yes they do, at least by the time DX:HR is occuring agmentations provide full tactile feedback.
Sign me the hell up! Hydraulic muscles and steel skin. I want to look like something from James Cameron's worst nightmare.
Robot appendages seem like they could malfunction and kill me pretty quickly; I'll just stick with being a genius at the peak of physical ability. Because that's pretty awesome by itself.
@jorbear said:I guess I did romanticize the situation. I wrote it like that because I didn't want people to start think, "well maybe if I was in good health I wouldn't, but why wouldn't I if I was an amputee or of poor health or crippled." This question is stated that if you have no reason to be augmented(to the point that the only thing it would change for you, would be to become better then a human, not just cure a illness, or any other reason), IE: You are relatively smart, fairly athletic, and in good health, basically enough to live comfortably for the rest of your human life. Yet you were giving the opportunity to become augmented, would you do it?His example already makes you the Witcher in the first place.You make it sound like I would become Geralt The Witcher, which is a pretty easy choice for me.
You're well fit
Why, thank you very much.
But I would not be transhumanist. I am a man.... not a machine. Machines and automatons are my enemies. I shall not lessen the human form by compromising with alternative enhancements. I shall not be controlled. I shall not be chipped. I am a but one man, but what a man.
@ryanwho said:
I want a dong that's 7 feet longYour wish is granted.... but it's all machine??
But I would not be transhumanist. I am a man.... not a machine. Machines and automatons are my enemies. I shall not lessen the human form by compromising with alternative enhancements. I shall not be controlled. I shall not be chipped. I am a but one man, but what a man.But what makes a man?
Surely it is our most sacred thing our minds, our consiousness, or if you prefer the romaticised version our soul.
In my eyes as long as the human mind is preserved no number of periferal changes to the body itself will take away ones humanity.
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