Transhumanism and the ethical imperative of preserving and expanding consciousness
Journal of Interdisciplinary Ethical Research April 9, 2026 D. Vandenheever
Transhumanism, the movement advocating radical human enhancement through technology, has been criticized for viewing humanity as fundamentally deficient and for lacking a clear purpose, which opens it to charges of arbitrariness, inequality, and loss of identity. This article addresses those criticisms by proposing a new foundation: consciousness. It argues that consciousness should be both the root and the ultimate goal of transhumanism, aiming for the survival and flourishing of conscious experience. By reframing transhumanism around consciousness, the article provides principled responses to major objections, shifting the foundation from despair to affirmation, anchoring dignity in sentience rather than biology, and transforming concerns about diversity and identity into opportunities for enriched conscious life. This grounds transhumanism as a principled ethical project rather than a speculative gamble.