World Religions in the
Age of Transhumanism: A
Comparative Study of
Islam and Buddhism”
Oleh Risalatul Hukmi
The biggest challenge faced by religion in
this century is the enhancement of science and
technology which are increasingly narrowing the
role and function of religion in human life. Today,
for example, we trust Google’s weather forecast
more than a rain handler (pawang) when
organizing events; we trust nanotechnology more
for cancer therapy than miracles; or even we prefer
to go to the doctor to do the IVF program rather
than pray continually as was done by Hajar,
Abraham’s wife. These facts make studies in
theology compete to offer answers that enable
religion to be rationally maintained. Starting from
the independence approach based on non-
overlapping magisteria argumentation; that
religion and science have a completely different
realm, to the integrative approach which tries to
affirm that science and religion can go hand in
hand.
Such debates have actually taken place
since the Copernican Revolution in the 16th
century which ended the church’s creed with the
marked collapse of the geocentrism view which
was then replaced by heliocentrism. The religious
authority—which was represented by the
Church—was later shaken by Darwin’s theory of
evolution which went against the doctrines of
creationism which at that time were the main
doctrines of Christianity. Today, the position of
religion is again at stake in the enhancement of
science and technology which was built underneath
a large umbrella called transhumanism.
We can say that transhumanism is likely the
culmination of human civilization, if it really can
be realized. The big goal of transhumanism is how
to create immortal humans by merging them with
technology through genomics, pharmaceuticals,
nanotechnology, robotics, artificial intelligence,
and several numbers of prosthetic devices. It
sounds exceedingly utopian and almost
unbelievable, but it does make sense theoretically.
We can easily find human organs that are replaced
by robots (cyborgs) today; prosthetic arms, legs,
eyes, etc. (Mercer, 2015: v). The project of mind
uploading into the computer led by Elon Musk has
also begun to find a bright spot. It is completely
possible that we will be able to live forever, or at
least much longer, even without a biological body.
With those in mind the eschatological
doctrine of religion, especially world religions,
then becomes very problematic. We have to
question several concepts such as destiny,
death (ajal), nirvana, heaven and hell, etc.; are
those concepts still relevant? In short, to what
extent can religion still be relevant if
transhumanism is completely realized and reaches
the singularity between human and technology? It
is in these questions that this paper will be argued
by taking a comparative study between Islam and
Buddhism, both of which have fundamentally
different concepts of theology and eschatology.
Transhumanism and Buddhism on
overcoming Dukkha
One of the reasons why Buddhism became
a religion which is quite important to propagate in
the narrative of transhumanism is because of the
basic teaching of Buddhism which teaches the four
noble truths about Dukkha; the fact of dukkha,
causes of dukkha, the end of dukkha, and the path
to liberation from dukkha. In Buddhism, dukkha is
a fundamental fact of life that cannot be denied
because it is a facticity that humans have to
embrace. Life is dukkha because we all are born in
a factual world; limited, imperfect, sick, mortal,
and unsatisfied (Hansen, 2008: 8).
It is in the problem of dukkha that
transhumanism gives concrete answers in a sense
that it is based on the assumption of materialism.
Transhumanism with all forms of enhanced
technology is aimed at the same goal, namely to
overcome existing dukkha due to the stretching of
human desire and limitations. Pain that human
suffers is diminishing with the help of technology
that enables humans to transcend their biological
limitations. It makes sense to suppose that when we
can get rid of all sufferings with biomedical
technology given by transhumanism then we do not
need Buddhism any longer.
However, the answer given by
transhumanism is not enough because there are two
reasons that make dukkha exist; tanha (endless
desire) and avijja (ignorance) (Hansen, 2008: 8).
Transhumanism, I argue, only overcomes the last
cause, namely dukkha caused by human ignorance
that we can actually overcome all kinds of
biological suffering with the help of science and
technology. So far, transhumanism in all of its
narratives has not provided answers on how to
overcome dukkha caused by unlimited desire.
Buddhism clearly has the answer to how
humans escape from dukkha through the Hasta
Ariya Magha path, or the Eight Noble Paths; right
view, right thought, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right
concentration. The eight noble paths, in Buddhism,
are considered to be able to bring humans into
Nirvana, a condition in which dukkha ends because
of the cessation of greed (lobha), hatred (dosa), and
delusion (moha) (Hansen, 2008: 9).
Transhumanism and Islam on the concept
of death
An American broadcaster, Larry King,
once stated that the only reason religion still exists
is death. If there is no death, religion is no longer
needed (Trothen, et.al., 2017: 286). It is in this
assumption that we can surely understand how the
narrative of transhumanism with the ambition to
overcome death can be the most problematic for the
existence of religion. There are only two answers
that can dismiss the problem: religion is not only a
matter of after life or transhumanism is not possible
to realize an immortal human.
So far, only the first answer can be
examined because the transhumanism project has
not yet been completed. Therefore, an important
question that can be asked is whether religion is
still relevant if there are no more deaths? In the
basic foundations of Islamic teachings, the
question is obviously very fundamental and
substantial. Almost all Islamic teachings, from
theology to even morality, are all based on their
belief in the Day of Judgment; “Then Allah will
punish him with the greatest punishment. Indeed,
to Us is their return, then indeed upon Us is their
account (Sura Al Ghasyiyah: 24-26)”. Then the
question, what is the rest of the teachings of Islam
based on?
If we want to try to accept the second
answer in which the immortality offered by
transhumanism is impossible, Islam is still
confronted with the problem of litigation on the
Day of Judgment. It is believed in Islam that
humans will be resurrected after death with
complete bodies so that their bodies can give the
witness when humans live. The question is, what
about cyborg humans, whose limbs can be replaced
many times with robots, or what about organ
transplants; who is responsible for the sins of
organs transplanted from other humans?
The only way for Islam to remain relevant
in the technological age is to radically interpret the
concepts in Islamic teaching; heaven-hell, sin-
reward, fate, death, etc. This is in line with what
was stated by Aisha Y. Musa (Maher, et.al, 2009:
128) that when Radical Life Extension (RLE) and
potential immortality comes true, we need to
redefine all eschatological concepts in Islam
radically.
What is left from religion?
Many predict that religion will no longer be
relevant when humans are fully rational and
science has given all the answers that religion
cannot do. From classical thinkers like August
Comte to new atheism figures; Sam Harris, Richard
Dawkins, Daniel Dennet, they expressed the same
thing optimistically that one day humans will leave
religion. But in reality, after hundreds of years,
Comte proposed his social postulate, there have not (Sura Al-Anfal:29).
been any significant signs that religion has begun
to be abandoned.
Unlike Buddhism which can be said having no
concept of divinity and the hereafter, Islam needs
Thus, we come to the question of what to radically redefine the entire foundation of its
science and technology cannot provide and can teachings in order to remain relevant in
only be obtained from religion. If we agree with technological enhancement that can give the
Larry King’s statement that the root of religion is answers for those fears.
fear of death and the days after, the logical
consequence when immortality can be achieved by
Apart from many things that must be
transhumanism then religion will no longer be
redefined, Islam actually also has important
relevant. However, as I have explained above about
teaching that makes it possible to remain always
the second noble truth of Buddhism,
relevant, namely about tawakal. Tawakal means
namely tanha as a cause of human suffering in my
resting and relying fully on whatever happens to
consideration is an important key where Buddhism
God. The teaching is almost in line with the
will remain relevant as long as desire is still
condition of nirvana in Buddhism which is
inherent in human beings. The only offer given by
illustrated by the absence of greed and hatred
transhumanism to overcome desires is through
because by being tawakal, the mind is conditioned
biomedicine which requires a person to take drugs
to accept whatever happens. If Buddhism calls this
such as analgesia to quell these desires. However,
state of mind as enlightenment, in Islam it is
this has the potential to generate new desires,
called nafsul mutmainnah (a soul illuminated by
namely the desire to take the drug itself. That is
light).
why it is called endless desire.

That is what remains of religion, I argue,

From that point, I can firmly conclude
that would be still relevant when the singularity
that the important things from religions that
between human and technology comes true. As
make them remain relevant are the
Karen Armstrong once stated in The Case for God,
psychological spheres offered, namely the
the task of religion should not overcome the
meaning of life which is actually full of dukkha;
problem of logos which is the realm of science. The
suffering, disappointment, etc. And this is a big
task of religion is like art which gives meaning to a
problem for Islam, which most of its teachings are
life filled with disappointment, despair, and
built on the foundation of ‘fear’ (taqwa) towards
suffering. Within such a framework of
God, the last day and the day of retribution.
understanding, religion will always be relevant
regardless of how science and technology are able
“You who believe! If you have fear of God, He will to give humans unlimited abilities. Science and
give you a criterion (by which to judge between right technology can never give a reason why life is
and wrong) and erase your bad actions from you and meaningful to be lived.
forgive you. God’s favor is indeed immense. ”

References

Hansen, Upa. Sasanesena Seng. Ikhtisar Ajaran Buddha. Yogyakarta: Insight Vidyasena Production, 2008.

Maher, Derek F. and Calvin Mercer (ed.). Religion and the Implications of Radical Life Extension. Macmillan:
Palgrave, 2009.

Mercer, Calvin and Tracy J. Trothen (ed.). Religion and Transhumanism: The Unknown Future of Human
Enhancement. California: Praeger, 2015. Trothen, J. Tracy and Calvin Mercer (ed.). Religion and Human
Enhancement: Death, Values, and Morality. Macmillan: Palgrave, 2017.