Which God do transhumanists (not) believe in?

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine to what extent the reflection of authors included in transhumanism relates to the question of the existence of God. A comparative analysis of selected literature will be used to examine both those strands of transhumanism that attempt to reconcile its postulates with established forms of religion and those that explicitly exclude belief in the existence of God. The idea of a Higher Power may appear in them as an autonomous force guiding the development of the universe. Attributes of the divine are also sometimes assigned to the post-human in his acquired immortal existence and freedom from all limitations thanks to technological progress. Quasi-divine attributes are also assigned to the Superintelligence – a self-conscious, indivisibly ruling and all-filling technological Supreme Force. From the analyses made, it can be concluded that the problem here is a distorted image of God as man’s competitor in achieving perfection. There is no doubt that, especially in the secularised societies of the West, transhumanist thought seems to actually fill the gap left by the rejection of God and religion.