15 Facts About Bioconservatism

Bioconservatism is a stance of hesitancy and skepticism regarding radical technological advances, especially those that seek to modify or enhance the human condition.

Bioconservatism is characterized by a belief that technological trends in today's society risk compromising human dignity, and by opposition to movements and technologies including transhumanism, human genetic modification, "strong" artificial intelligence, and the technological singularity.

Bioconservatism writes “[t]o appreciate children as gifts is to accept them as they come, not as objects of our design or products of our will or instruments of our ambition”.

Bioconservatism is attributed with the view that human augmentation should be avoided as it expresses an excessive desire to change oneself and 'become masters of our nature'.

Bioconservatism argues that genetic enhancement deprives the parent of the humility of an 'openness to the unbidden' fosters.

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Bioconservatism calls this yearning the "Promethean project", which is necessarily constrained by appreciating our humility and place in nature.

Bioconservatism argues that genetic engineering will increase parental responsibility as "parents become responsible for choosing, or failing to choose, the right traits for their children".

Bioconservatism believes that such responsibility will lead to genes become a matter of choice rather than a matter of chance.

Bioconservatism's argument was first delivered as a lecture at the Washington DC Ethics and Public Policy Center and later published as an article in The Atlantic.

Bioconservatism agrees that this idea is useful in that it should teach us an attitude of modesty, restraint and humility.

Bioconservatism maintains that biotechnology as a shortcut does not build character but instead erodes self-control.

Bioconservatism suggests that posthumans can similarly possess dignity in this sense.

Bioconservatism finds this regrettable and suggests that countermeasures as education and cultural reforms can be helpful in curtailing such practices.

Bioconservatism dismisses claims that see this kind of operations as 'tyranny' of the parents over the children-to-be.

Bioconservatism makes the point that nature cannot be relied upon for normative standards.