3 Body Problem’s most mind-bending question

Are you pro-humanist, anti-humanist, or transhumanist? vox.com/culture CULTURE   The big issue of 3 Body Problem, the new Netflix show based on the great Cixin Liu’s sci-fi novel, is whether it is morally correct to root for or against humanity in the face of an alien invasion. Humans have, after all, driven millions of species to extinction. If a more advanced alien species arrives on our planet — well, what if they would be better stewards of it than we are? [As Sigal Samuel lays out in her fascinating new essay](, the question in 3 Body Problem reflects a very real debate brewing across different philosophical schools of thought. Humanists, anti-humanists, and transhumanists are arguing over what the future of the species should look like and how to think through the ethical problems that come with each potential timeline of events. Take a read and see how quickly Sigal can get you to change your mind on what seems at first like a very straightforward question. —[Constance Grady](, senior correspondent 3 Body Problem’s most mind-bending question isn’t about aliens [a still of a woman putting on a silver mirrored eye mask headset]( Courtesy of Netflix Stars that wink at you. Protons with 11 dimensions. Computers made of rows of human soldiers. Aliens that give virtual reality a whole new meaning. All of these visual pyrotechnics are very cool. But none of them are at the core of what makes 3 Body Problem, the new Netflix hit based on Cixin Liu’s sci-fi novel of the same name, so compelling. The real beating heart of the show is a philosophical question: Would you swear a loyalty oath to humanity — or cheer on its extinction? [There’s more division over this question than you might think.](The show, which is about a face-off between humans and aliens, captures two opposing intellectual trends that have been swirling around in the zeitgeist in recent years. One goes like this: “Humans may be the only intelligent life in the universe — we are incredibly precious. We must protect our species from existential threats at all costs!” The other goes like this: “Humans are destroying the planet — causing climate change, making species go extinct. The world will be better off if we go extinct!” The first, pro-human perspective is more familiar. It’s natural to want your own species to survive. And there’s lots in the media these days about perceived existential threats, from climate change to rogue AI that one day could wipe out humanity. But anti-humanism has been gaining steam, too, especially among a vocal minority of environmental activists who seem to welcome the end of destructive Homo sapiens. There’s even a Voluntary Human Extinction Movement, which advocates for us to stop having kids so that humanity will fade out and nature will triumph. And then there’s transhumanism, [the Frankensteinish love child of pro-humanism and anti-humanism.]( This is the idea that we should use tech to evolve our species into Homo sapiens 2.0. Transhumanists — who span the gamut from Silicon Valley tech bros to academic philosophers — do want to keep some version of humanity going, but definitely not the current hardware. They imagine us with chips in our brains, or with AI telling us how to make moral decisions more objectively, or with digitally uploaded minds that live forever in the cloud. Analyzing these trends in his book Revolt Against Humanity, the literary critic Adam Kirsch writes, “The anti-humanist future and the transhumanist future are opposites in most ways, except the most fundamental: They are worlds from which we have disappeared, and rightfully so.” [Read the full story »](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( “Equivalent to having 50 Super Bowls”: The staggering — and lucrative — scale of eclipse tourism More people will travel for this event than for one of the country’s biggest games. [Read the full story »]( How real is Shōgun? The FX and Hulu hit depicts a bloody, brutal, mostly thwarted colonial history of Japan. It’s based in the truth. [Read the full story »](   Support our work We aim to explain what we buy, why we buy it, and why it matters. Support our mission by making a gift today. [Give](   More good stuff to read today - [Why March Madness is all about Caitlin Clark]( - [Oppenheimer won Best Picture. Its new reception in Japan was very different.]( - [Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, explained]( - [J.K. Rowling’s transphobia: A history]( - [The harrowing “Quiet on Set” allegations, explained]( - [How did the cost of food delivery get so high?](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=culture). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved.