Outlook

Abstract

For a long time, intellectuals assumed that religion would disappear in modern societies shaped by enlightenment and scientific progress. This prognosis has not come true. On the one hand, according to estimations, the proportion of people considering themselves as religiously non-affiliated in relation to the total world population will decline in the coming decades due to demographic factors. On the other hand, many scholars of sociology and religious studies refer to societies in the so-called Western hemisphere not anymore as “secular” but “post-secular” because religious and spiritual discourse gains significance in public discourse as well as in personal life plans. “Smart homes”, “digital assistants” and “social robots” are no longer creatures of technological fantasy but have found their way into our everyday lives. In transhumanism, however, the opposite is true, since, as the transhumanist declaration emphasizes, human limitations, vulnerability and mortality are interpreted as evils and deficits to be overcome.