War in Times of “Beyond Man”: Reflections on a “Grand” Contemporary Topic

Abstract

This chapter argues that, although transhumanism depicts itself as following the footsteps of the tradition of humanism, i.e. as seeking for a better world for all human beings, it is realizing ambiguous trajectories. Despite officially proclaimed integrative intentions and goals of some of its most prominent leaders, it seems that transhumanism tends to push forward social innovations that are a double-edged sword. Indeed, we face an era of military rearmament also due to achievements that have emerged in the converging fields of AI, robotics and human enhancement. Some of the most controversial views concerning these achievements and their possible impacts on modern warfare are discussed. Moreover, we outline how these developments in the military sector are symptomatic for a broader technological trend that seems to become a major transformative driver in the twenty-first century—a world where inequality is on the rise both in the social, the technological and the military spheres.