Human Augmentation Essay

Human augmentation (enhancement as some call it) can be defined as the intentional manipulation of humans for the purpose of improvement, using both natural and artificial means. Human augmentation may also be called human 2.0 [Techopedia]. Augmentation is any procedure that alters the human form/genes, including, but not limited to, plastic surgery, gene manipulation/therapy, cybernetics, pharmaceuticals, stem cells, nanotechnology, and computer science. Human augmentation is perfectly fine. With augmentation, we as the human race can improve people’s body image, save humanity from many genetic disorders, and improve the overall quality of life. In the future, humans will be able to transcend what it means to be a person through augmentation.

Augmentation can improve people’s body image. Some of the most widely-known forms of augmentation that are available at this time are plastic surgery, gene therapy, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), and the use of pharmaceuticals. These can all help someone start feeling better about themselves and have a better body image. Some might argue that it is ‘immoral’ to change the human body, which is considered the work of God by most religious sects. Now, this claim can easily be dismissed as Deus Vult (a call to a higher power) [UTEP], which has no place in a logical debate.

Plastic surgery is one of the most commonly known forms of physical augmentation. Plastic surgery can be defined as "a branch of surgery concerned with the repair, restoration, or improvement of lost, injured, defective, or misshapen body parts [Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary]." Some of the most common practices in plastic surgery would be expanding or reducing breasts and/or buttocks, removing fat (liposuct...

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...hree-pound blob of tissue that keeps every individual human being alive), it could have some serious effects on one's health, possibly leading to death. But, if one considers the possible benefits to something like a direct neural interface with computers (the ability to recall information almost perfectly, directly connecting to the internet without a computer, completely immersive game play, etc.), then these individuals would understand that testing is necessary and no risk is too big for scientific leaps such as these.

In conclusion, augmentation is fine, or at least will be in the future. With technology moving as fast as it is now, there's no telling what is in store for the human race in what could be considered a short time. At this moment, there may be some health concerns and issues of morality, but those can all be smoothed out in the world of tomorrow.