<-- Molmac | Transhumanist Terminology Index | Mutual Reality -->


Morphological freedom would be the freedom of the physical form, having the choice to be able to change your body to alter it to your wishes. The actual means is not relevant - surgery, genetic engineering, uploading, or nanotechnology are all possibilities for changing the body. The level of freedom increases as more drastic changes can be made, and as the changes can be made more easily and more quickly.

The ultimate level of freedom would likely be being able to take on any form desired, at any time desired, for any length of time desired - including the choice of no form whatsoever (living without a body).

There exists some basic level of this freedom today. Plastic surgery and body modification reflect simple forms of morphological freedom, and some include other surgeries, such as organ transplants, into this category - after all, if your heart is failing, then you would want to change your body to include a working heart.

Some people claim that this should be considered a basic human right. Not as in "we must develop this technology as quickly as possible so that people can exercise their right to change their body as much as they can", but that nobody should be denied the option to change their body to suit them, and similarly, nobody should have their body changed against their wishes.

If people do consider it a right, it may be worth noting that both aspects of this right are currently being violated. For example, there are some people who wish to be without certain parts of their body, such as those who wish to have arms and/or legs amputated. It is difficult, if not impossible, for them to have such procedures performed, even though it's a well established medical prodecure - few doctors will willingly do such things, and those desiring it are often considered mentally ill. On the other side, babies born intersexed are routinely subjected to surgery very quickly, where the doctor alters the body by "assigning" a sex to the child, sometimes without the parents' wishes (or even knowledge), to continue to enforce the standard male/female dichotomy.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.