Transhumanism

Unlike the non-sentient creatures that came before them, humankind has, throughout its storied history, both benefited from and struggled with its ability to direct its own evolution (not to mention the evolution of other life forms) in ways that no other creatures in their early interactions ever had. Selective breeding, eugenics, direct genetic manipulation, technological augmentation, and later incredible feats accomplished through technomancy not only allowed humanity to shape itself and its role in the multiverse, but also set in motion one of the core conflicts in human and post-human civilization: the eternal strife between those who would adopt transhumanism, and those who vehemently opposed it.   This conflict first came into being in the 20th century on Earth, when Social Darwinism led to widespread implementation of eugenic policies. Later in the same century, genetic engineering and cloning technologies arose, with controversy surrounding all of these things. As technology accelerated, a "transhuman gap" appeared that was often related to the wealth gap; those who could afford to manipulate themselves or their offspring either biologically or technologically began to create a rift between themselves and those who were not able to afford such luxuries. Social and philosophical movements arose in support and opposition to both sides of the conflict. Some saw transhumanism as the only way humanity would survive the cruelty of nature (this becoming more evident both as the human worlds became less hospitable, and interactions with hostile alien races increased the sense of a fight for survival on a species-wide scale). Some transhumanists simply saw themselves as superior to the humanity that they felt they had rightly left behind. Some thought it was simply destiny, and to ignore the ability to improve ourselves was a ridiculous folly. Those in opposition were terrified of the social implications and intra-societal conflict unequal access to transhumanism created. Some were terrified of the hubris of humanity changing itself at such a rapid clip without considering how it might perversely affect our growth as a species. Still others took pride in their accomplishments, both mental and physical, without the use of transhuman manipulation or augmentation.   While this conflict was born on Earth, it followed humanity across the universe as people began to colonize far-reaching worlds. The offspring of humankind variously embraced, rejected, or were simply cut off from transhuman practices. Millions of years later, the positions on transhumanism held by the various cultures were so disparate and so dividing that they, along with views on use of technomancy and technology generally, made cooperation between the races seemingly impossible. This was one of the driving forces behind the spirit of The Great Experiment.