“Radicalism” and “Conservatism”: The Philosophical Argument of Human Enhancement Technologies (HET) and Its Resolution

Abstract

The philosophical debate between “radicalism” and “conservatism” in emerging human enhancement technologies (HET) has never ceased. Although their theoretical claims seem to be distinct from each other, they actually share certain commonalities, which are mainly manifested in three aspects: first, they both hold certain illusions about emerging HET; second, they both reflect the loss of human subjectivity in the debate; and third, they both leave the premise of their propositions in suspense. Based on the reflection and grasp of these commonalities, we can grasp the possible boundaries of the dissolution of the two oppositions: let HET be “where it is in,” reconfigure anthropocentrism, suspend metaphysical myths, and turn to the “reality of human beings.”