"Man Remakes Himself"?

Four future histories:

The Shape of Things to Come by HG Wells

Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon

the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov

the Psychotechnic History by Poul Anderson

- ask whether mankind can change itself for the better. ("MAN REMAKES HIMSELF" is a chapter heading in Last and First Men.) CS Lewis, in his Ransom Trilogy, replies that, although individuals can change themselves with divine help, any attempt by mankind to change itself will consist in some men controlling, and ultimately destroying, others. Lewis adds that any such project will be demonically inspired. Without necessarily sharing either Lewis' theology or his demonology, we can take sides in this debate:

Incidentally, I think that was the point in GENESIS -- that 'perfecting' human beings would essentially abolish them.

-SM Stirling in the combox of this blog (see here)

Six sf writers and one big question. Stirling refers to Poul Anderson's single-volume future history, Genesis, not to the First Book of Moses although the latter is also relevant, particularly to Lewis' world-view. (We often find that Anderson comes onto the list more than once.)

We, editorially speaking, share Lewis' concern for human moral development but believe that humanity has risen from animality, not fallen from a divinely created Paradise. If mankind has come into existence by changing his environment and also himself in the process, then why cannot he change himself further? He can, but the timescale is important. See SM Stirling's most recent comment here.

I prefer cooperation to conflict and argue that the former is essential to humanity but have had to accept SM Stirling's point, also made in the combox, that the earliest human beings cooperated in order not only to hunt more efficiently but also to engage in conflict with other groups of human beings.

The phrase, "human nature," is often used as a cliche to mean something unchanging and, in that sense, I do not believe that "human nature" exists. We are defined by change, not by anything unchanging, but that does not mean that we can quickly and easily change either ourselves or our society for the better. Obviously not.

Anderson enters the discussion a third time. The telepathic Dreamer offers to remove the time travellers' neuroses:

"'No, thanks,' said Belgotai. 'I like my little neuroses.'"

-Poul Anderson, "Flight to Forever" IN Anderson, Past Times (New York, 1984), pp. 207-288 AT CHAPTER FIVE, p. 261.

I don't. I would accept the Dreamer's help provided that he was able to explain clearly what he was doing.