In Extropy We Trust: A Systems Theory Approach to Identifying Transhumanism’s Religious Philosophy

Abstract

Is transhumanism a religious movement? While proponents of transhumanism reject the movement’s identification with religion , a variety of scholars have identified parallel characteristics between transhumanism and the world’s religious traditions. While comparative approaches are helpful, this chapter provides a functional analysis of the idea of extropy, arguably transhumanism’s core philosophy, in the context of Niklas Luhmann’s application of systems theory to religion. I will show that the philosophy of extropy and its realization through technological enhancement fits Luhmann’s form/context model concerning the function of religious meaning within social systems.