Matrix III: The Incarnation of Transhumanism

This is the third and final part of my series on The Mattix.

At the end of the film, we see the hero, Neo, is able to not only read the code of the Matrix, but also manipulate it. In the end scene, we see Neo flying like Superman.

He has mastered the Matrix and become an incarnate god.

In the previous two posts in this series, I wrote about how the real world is a matrix. Which we can’t escape from. Then I talked about how the Internet is the 2nd matrix. It is an inferior version of the real world.

In this third post, we will explore how trans-humanism is similar to Christ’s Incarnation.

At the Incarnation, God in-dwells human flesh. God enters Creation and walks amongst the works of His hands.

This is a key Christian teaching and considered one of the Mysteries of the Church. How can God become a man?

And as I mentioned in the previous post, humanity imitates God. So just as God incarnated into His Matrix, humanity desires to incarnate into the Internet.

Trans-Humanity

According to some, this is the next stage in human evolution and development. They say the future is part human and part machine, linking us all up through a digital matrix.

But what is a ‘machine’. From a certain perspective, the symbolism of a machine is a tool for meeting human desire. As machines develop, they meet our desires in more and more efficient ways.

For example, the hunter-gather societies advanced to agriculture by the development of the plough. This was then superseded by using animals to pull it. Then by the tractor and so on. Each step, the task of producing food became more energy efficient as the machinery improved. So our desire to see food on our tables, becomes easier and easier to meet.

In becoming part-machine, it means humanity is trying to make themselves more efficient in ‘being human’.

For the trans-humanist, it means we can become stronger, more intelligent and live longer.

Transhumanist Incarnation

In Christianity, the Incarnation of Christ is the most important event in history.

It is where, God entered His creation. The Second Person of the Trinity took on flesh.

In a similar manner to the Incarnation, the trans-humanists are now planning to enter humanity’s creation, the Second Matrix.

But in their case, it’s not to bring hope, life and love to the creation, it’s about using their creation to become a god. They want to become immortal, omniscient and be free from the limitations of Reality. They want to become undying, unimpeded and uploaded into a reality which they can control, much like Neo.

The Trans-Humanism Problem

There are several problems with trans-humanism. They include access to a suitable and reliable power source, maintenance of the biological part, machine repairs, and obsolescence issues.

But the most knotted problem with trans-humanism is the Modern Western idea of the individual.

Why do we think we even know what a person is?

A person is more than just their inner world of thoughts and emotions. We have a physical outer world presence too (as well as a spiritual one).

When trans-humanists upload or incarnate into the Second Matrix, they will more than likely lose themselves, their identity and what makes them truly human. They may gain control over an unreal world, but lose their very soul. It will be a living Hell.

Matthew 16 v 26

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?