Between the ideals of humanism and transhuman concepts - basic ideas for the Würdekompass e.V.

Abstract

Can the issue of „dignity“ be saved into an uncertain future, which is characterized by globalization and digitalization? It is stealing humanity its limits for the basic conditions of life that are believed to be safe. Man not only pushes forward into outer space, but at the same time increasingly explores the smallest units of life. The thoughts of this text move in the field of tension of almost retroromantic, humanistic hopes and future-oriented visions. The initiative „Würdekompass“, founded by Gerald Hüther and Michael Beilmann, takes a meta-level to this end in order to create the behaviour for a new togetherness by means of an open co-creative offer for the creation of a dignified life. In this article, Michael Beilmann describes why he sees it as a utopia to stop bio-, gene- or nanotechnological research or projects on idealizing concepts and deeds. He is not interested in predicting the survival of Homo sapiens on this planet, but above all postponing its extinction due to creating dignified contexts for life.