Is Transhumanism Compatible with Jewish Beliefs?

Is Transhumanism Compatible with Jewish Beliefs?

Introduction
Transhumanism – the belief that humanity can transcend its biological limits through technology – has moved from the pages of science fiction to the boardrooms of Silicon Valley. Advocates envision radical enhancements to human health, intelligence, and lifespan, even positing the end of aging and death as achievable goals. As journalist Mark O’Connell writes, “Transhumanism is a movement pushing the limits of our bodies – our capabilities, intelligence, and lifespans – in the hopes that, through technology, we can become something better than ourselves. It has found support among Silicon Valley billionaires and some of the world’s biggest businesses.” (To be a Machine by Mark O’ Connell | Goodreads) In other words, some of the most influential tech leaders today earnestly seek to “help humans ‘cheat death’.” (Silicon Valley’s quest to live forever could benefit humanity as a whole) But can this futuristic quest for immortality harmonize with ancient religious traditions? Specifically, is transhumanism compatible with Jewish beliefs? This question invites a deep reflection on the intersection of modern technology and timeless theology. As we shall see, the transhumanist dream of conquering death may find surprising resonance in Jewish ethics and mysticism. Far from being alien to Judaism, the core values driving transhumanism – the sanctity of life, the yearning for immortality, the hope for a perfected future – have deep roots in Jewish thought.

Transhumanism, Silicon Valley, and the Dream of Immortality

In the 21st century, the age-old human dream of eternal life has been adopted with fervor by the tech elite. A growing number of inventors and investors treat aging as a technical problem to be solved. Google’s founders, for example, launched a company dedicated to extending human lifespan (Calico) with a $1 billion research budget (If they could turn back time: how tech billionaires are trying to reverse the ageing process | Ageing | The Guardian). More recently, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Russian-Israeli venture capitalist Yuri Milner have backed Altos Labs, a biotech firm with “a dream team of scientists” pursuing cellular rejuvenation (If they could turn back time: how tech billionaires are trying to reverse the ageing process | Ageing | The Guardian) (If they could turn back time: how tech billionaires are trying to reverse the ageing process | Ageing | The Guardian). From young blood transfusions to genetic reprogramming, the methods may vary, but the message is the same: death is not inevitable. Tech magnates like Peter Thiel openly muse about living centuries, and multimillionaires like Bryan Johnson even experimented with swapping blood plasma with his teenage son in an effort to rejuvenate his body (The Immortals: meet the billionaires forking out for eternal life | Podcasts | The Guardian). Such efforts, once on the fringe, are moving mainstream in Silicon Valley. The idea that science and innovation could “make death optional” no longer sounds entirely outrageous when some of the world’s richest, most influential people are investing their fortunes in that very goal (Silicon Valley’s quest to live forever could benefit humanity as a whole).

One prominent figure in this landscape is Dmitry Itskov, a Russian internet entrepreneur who exemplifies the intersection of tech wealth and the quest for immortality. Itskov, who hails from a Jewish family and built a successful media empire in Moscow, has devoted his life (and considerable fortune) to ending death itself. By age 35, he had amassed a £1 billion fortune from his news publishing company (Dmitry Itskov – Wikipedia) and then pivoted to fund an audacious experiment in human longevity. In 2011, Itskov founded the “2045 Initiative,” a nonprofit research network with the stated goal of achieving “cybernetic immortality” by the year 2045 (Dmitry Itskov – Wikipedia). The initiative brings together neuroscientists, robotics experts, and consciousness researchers in an effort to create technologies that can eventually “transfer an individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, extending life, including to the point of immortality.” (2045 Initiative – Wikipedia) In plainer terms, Itskov’s team aims to upload the human mind into a robotic or digital avatar so that one’s thoughts and personality can outlive the biological body (Media mogul Dmitry Itskov plans to live forever by uploading his personality to a robot) (Media mogul Dmitry Itskov plans to live forever by uploading his personality to a robot). Itskov is utterly serious about this timeline – he has said he is “100% sure it will happen” and that without such technology he himself “will be dead in the next 35 years,” an outcome he refuses to accept (Media mogul Dmitry Itskov plans to live forever by uploading his personality to a robot).

(Dmitry Itskov: It’s Time To Think About Who We Are And What’s Our Place In The Universe) Dmitry Itskov (left) with futurist Ray Kurzweil at a Global Future 2045 conference. Itskov, a Russian tech entrepreneur who made a fortune in digital media, is now one of transhumanism’s leading advocates. He launched the 2045 Initiative to merge minds with machines, reflecting Silicon Valley’s boldest futurist aspirations.

Itskov’s 2045 Initiative is notable not only for its sci-fi ambition but also for its outreach to broader society and religion. In 2012, Itskov penned an open letter to the world’s billionaires (those featured on the Forbes rich list), urging them to join him in funding life-extension technologies to “make [humanity] immortal.” (Dmitry Itskov – Wikipedia) He understood that such a grand quest would require massive resources and collective will. Moreover, unlike some technocrats who disregard spirituality, Itskov has actively engaged religious thinkers in dialogue. The mission statement of 2045 explicitly calls for “the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.” (2045 Initiative – Wikipedia) Itskov has invited philosophers and faith leaders to his conferences to discuss the ethical and metaphysical implications of engineering immortality (Dmitry Itskov: It’s Time To Think About Who We Are And What’s Our Place In The Universe) (Dmitry Itskov: It’s Time To Think About Who We Are And What’s Our Place In The Universe). This approach reflects perhaps his own Jewish cultural background – a recognition that extending life raises not just technical questions but also profound spiritual ones. Indeed, Itskov frames his pursuit in humanitarian terms: he speaks of developing “life-extension products that will be affordable and available to all of humanity,” collaborating with scientists and religious leaders to ensure the project benefits everyone (Dmitry Itskov: It’s Time To Think About Who We Are And What’s Our Place In The Universe). In this inclusive vision, one can sense Itskov’s implicit belief that science and spirituality need not be at odds. The ancient command to “choose life” can, in his view, be upheld by the most cutting-edge technology.

Pikuach Nefesh: The Sanctity of Life in Jewish Law

To appreciate the harmony between transhumanist goals and Judaism, one must understand Judaism’s extraordinary emphasis on the sanctity of life. In Jewish law and ethics, life is the supreme value. The Talmudic principle of pikuach nefesh (saving a life) teaches that preserving human life overrides almost every other religious rule. The Torah itself proclaims, “Therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19), and the sages took this as a directive that nearly all commandments can be set aside to save a life. As bioethicist Leon Kass explains, “Judaism embraces medicine and the human activity of healing the sick; from the Torah the rabbis deduced not only permission for doctors to heal, but also the positive obligation to do so. Indeed, so strong is this reverence for life that the duty of pikuach nefesh requires that Jews violate the holy Shabbat in order to save a life.” (L’Chaim and Its Limits: Why Not Immortality? – First Things) In other words, no religious observance is too great to suspend in the face of an imminent threat to life. To a traditionally observant Jew, even the Sabbath – ordinarily sacrosanct – must be broken if a person’s life is at stake. Not by accident do Jews raise their glasses and toast “L’Chaim!” (“To life!”) at celebrations (L’Chaim and Its Limits: Why Not Immortality? – First Things) (L’Chaim and Its Limits: Why Not Immortality? – First Things).

This profound reverence for life has made Jews historically enthusiastic supporters of medical progress. “Vastly out of proportion to their numbers, [Jews] build hospitals and laboratories, support medical research, and see their sons and daughters in the vanguard of new scientific discoveries,” Kass observes (L’Chaim and Its Limits: Why Not Immortality? – First Things). Curing disease, prolonging life, and protecting health are seen as holy endeavors in themselves. In modern bioethics debates, Jewish thinkers consistently advocate for “more life, longer life, new life,” treating the prevention of death as a near-absolute value that trumps most if not all other moral objections (L’Chaim and Its Limits: Why Not Immortality? – First Things). Unlike some religious traditions that might oppose certain interventions on grounds of “playing God” or violating natural law, mainstream Jewish ethics tends to say that life and health are good, and therefore more life and health is better (L’Chaim and Its Limits: Why Not Immortality? – First Things). This perspective provides robust moral support for the core aim of transhumanism: to extend healthy human lifespan and save lives through technology. If a new biomedical technique offers a chance to cure illness or reverse aging, the Jewish ethic instinctively leans toward embracing it, because it serves the fundamental principle of preserving life.

Consider the stark contrast between Judaism’s life-centered ethic and the emerging secular ethos that supports a “right to die.” In several countries today, laws permit euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide, reflecting a view that individual autonomy justifies choosing death in certain circumstances. From a Jewish standpoint, however, “taking one’s life is regarded as halachically and morally improper” (Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Halachic Approach). Jewish law does not recognize a “right to die”; rather, it nearly always insists on the duty to live. The preservation of life has “always been regarded as a cardinal value in Judaism. The Torah was given to man so ‘that he may live.’ The paramount necessity to save life (pikuach nefesh) supersedes virtually all the commandments of the Torah… Because all human beings are formed in the image of the Divine, all life is regarded as being of infinite value regardless of its duration or quality.” (Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Halachic Approach) Each human life is infinitely precious; even a day or an hour of life has incalculable worth. This stands in stark opposition to utilitarian notions that some lives (such as those of the terminally ill or severely disabled) might not be “worth living.” Judaism resists such calculations vehemently: “if and when some human life is deemed to be less valuable than others, then life as a whole has gone from being infinite to being relative and the lives of all of us have become cheapened.” (Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Halachic Approach)

Contemporary Western culture’s embrace of slogans like “death with dignity” troubles Jewish ethicists, who worry that what starts as a voluntary choice can become a subtle expectation. As one Jewish medical authority notes, “What starts off as a ‘right to die’ quickly turns into an obligation… ultimately debasing the sanctity of the individual and the meaning of his existence.” (Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Halachic Approach) In place of this resignation to mortality, Judaism offers the rallying cry of pikuach nefesh, affirming that saving a life is the highest dignity. This ethos naturally aligns with any movement dedicated to fighting death and disease. Transhumanism’s quest to end aging and prolong life can be seen as a direct extension of pikuach nefesh into the realm of technology. If new innovations allow us to rescue people from the “disease” of aging or avoid untimely death, Jewish law and morality would view their use favorably – perhaps even as an obligation. Rather than “playing God,” using our God-given intellect and creativity to cure illness and extend life is, from the Jewish perspective, part of fulfilling God’s mandate to cherish life. The Talmud teaches that God himself gives permission to the physician to heal; thus, we are invited to become partners with the Divine in tikun olam, the repair of a world beset by suffering and death. In this light, the transhumanist drive to apply extreme medicine (be it gene therapy, nanotechnology, or brain-computer interfaces) to save lives is not a rebellion against God at all – it is a fulfillment of the duty to choose life.

Immortality and Resurrection in Jewish Thought

Beyond the practical ethics of life-saving lies a more mystical parallel: Judaism’s long-held belief in the immortality of the soul and the eventual resurrection of the dead. The transhumanist aspiration to achieve technological immortality – whether by indefinite life extension, mind uploading, or cyborg bodies – echoes theological concepts that are thousands of years old in Judaism. While the Hebrew Bible is mostly concerned with this life, later Jewish tradition emphatically affirms that death is not the end of human existence. The Mishnah (Sanhedrin 10:1) states that every Jew who affirms the resurrection of the dead has a share in the World to Come, and conversely, one who denies the resurrection forfeits that share ( The Concept of Immortality in Judaism – Chabad.org ). Medieval Jewish philosophers codified these beliefs: Maimonides included faith in an eventual resurrection among his Thirteen Principles of Faith, right alongside the belief in one God and the divine origin of the Torah ( The Concept of Immortality in Judaism – Chabad.org ) (The Thirteen Principles of Jewish Faith – Chabad.org). In Jewish liturgy to this day, the daily Amidah prayer praises God as “Mechaye hameitim” – the One who gives life to the dead. The concept of an afterlife ( Olam Ha-Ba, the World to Come) and a future messianic era when the dead will live again is “an essential and enduring principle” of Judaism ( The Concept of Immortality in Judaism – Chabad.org ). As one scholar put it, “no matter how the basic principles [of Judaism] were reduced or revised [by various thinkers], immortality remained a major tenet of Judaism” ( The Concept of Immortality in Judaism – Chabad.org ). In short, the dream of conquering death has always been at the heart of Jewish hope.

It is fascinating to note how Jewish scripture and mysticism grapple with the idea of humans achieving eternal life. In the Torah’s opening chapters, immortality was depicted as nearly within humanity’s grasp: Adam and Eve, had they eaten from the Tree of Life in Eden, would have lived forever, but were expelled from the Garden before they could do so (Genesis 3:22-24). Death, in the biblical view, was a consequence of human limitation and folly, not part of God’s ideal plan. Later, the Hebrew prophets like Ezekiel had visions of resurrection – the famous Valley of Dry Bones, where dead bones came to life (Ezekiel 37:1-14) – symbolizing national rebirth but rooted in the possibility of literal revival of the dead. The Talmud and Midrash contain striking legends: for example, the prophet Elisha is said to have resurrected a child (whom tradition identifies as Habakkuk) ( Immortality Part 1 ), and it was even hinted that certain exceptionally righteous sages had the spiritual power to revive the dead ( Immortality Part 1 ). These stories convey a bold message: within the Jewish spiritual imagination, death is a surmountable obstacle. The Kabbalistic work Zohar goes so far as to suggest that death is a paradoxical illusion – “death exists for the sole purpose of proving that it does not exist; death negates itself,” as one commentary summarizes the Zohar’s view (Immortality Part 1 – The Kabbalah Centre). In other words, our mortality is real, yet ultimately meant to be overcome in the divine plan. The Zohar teaches that through the hidden knowledge of Torah (particularly the mystical “Tree of Life” dimension of the Torah), one can free the soul from the angel of death (Daily Zohar – Tikunim – # 1062 – How to achieve immortality?). Jewish mystics earnestly sought longevity and even immortality; some figures, like Enoch and Elijah, are said in the Bible to have ascended to heaven without dying at all, hinting at the possibility of bypassing death for the exceedingly holy.

This rich backdrop of Jewish belief provides a profound context for evaluating transhumanism. If Judaism envisions a future resurrection of the body and the eternal life of the soul, then the transhumanist vision of technological resurrection begins to sound less heretical. Both yearn for the same end: the defeat of death and the continuation of human life indefinitely. The difference lies in method and timing – one trusts in divine intervention at the end of days, the other invests human ingenuity in the here and now. Yet even this difference can be bridged. Some Jewish thinkers have suggested that scientific progress might be part of the divine plan for redemption. After all, the line between natural and supernatural can blur: a successful mind upload or the curing of aging would have seemed supernatural in ages past. Perhaps these advances are simply the tools through which God’s promise of long life is fulfilled. In a sense, transhumanists are attempting to engineer what Judaism has long prayed for. Their laboratories echo with ancient prayers: to “swallow up death forever” (Isaiah 25:8) and wipe away tears from every face.

Ancient Wisdom and Future Tech: A Shared Vision

On the surface, a Silicon Valley lab and a house of study may seem worlds apart – one populated by robots and algorithms, the other by sacred texts and prayers. Yet the burgeoning alliance between transhumanist ideals and Jewish ethics suggests these worlds are converging. The fascination with life extension in tech circles is not merely a narcissistic pursuit of youth; it taps into something fundamentally human and fundamentally spiritual: the desire to transcend our frailty. In Jewish terms, it is the pull of our tzelem Elohim (being made in the image of God), which yearns for eternity. King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes that God “set eternity in the human heart” – we are uniquely aware of and discontent with our mortality. Transhumanism boldly acts on that discontent with the tools of science, much as religion acts on it with the tools of faith.

Dmitry Itskov’s story illustrates how these tools can complement each other. Here is a man steeped in both worlds – a cosmopolitan internet billionaire and a descendant of a people of the Book – who sees no contradiction in fusing technological ambition with spiritual purpose. At his Global Future 2045 conferences, Buddhist monks, Christian and Jewish clergy, and Hindu swamis shared the stage with roboticists and AI experts (Dmitry Itskov: It’s Time To Think About Who We Are And What’s Our Place In The Universe). This reflects a realization that moral and spiritual guidance must inform our use of technology, especially when the goals are as radical as re-defining life and death. Judaism’s voice in this conversation is particularly vital. Its ethical framework demands that in our rush to extend life, we also safeguard the dignity of life. It teaches that who lives forever (the value of every soul) is just as important as how we might achieve forever. By emphasizing the infinite worth of each life, Jewish thought can help ensure that transhumanist innovations are made accessible to all and not only to the rich – echoing Itskov’s own insistence that life-extension should be “available to all of humanity.” (Dmitry Itskov: It’s Time To Think About Who We Are And What’s Our Place In The Universe) By recalling that immortality without moral purpose can be empty, Jewish wisdom can help frame immortality not just as endless existence but as meaningful, righteous living – a theme found in mystical texts that immortality is tied to spiritual perfection.

Conversely, transhumanism offers Judaism a new idiom to express its age-old hopes. The ancient prophets spoke in the language of miracles and divine cataclysm because they could not have imagined gene therapies or quantum computers. Today, when we speak of retarding cellular aging or preserving consciousness in silicon, we are, in a way, updating the metaphors of resurrection and eternal life in the language of technology. This does not cheapen the religious vision; it concretizes it. It invites us to participate in the work of redemption. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, a prominent 20th-century Jewish leader, often emphasized that we are in the “generation of redemption,” hinting that advances in science and the collapse of old barriers are paving the way for messianic times. One could view the transhumanist movement as an unwitting agent of this positive change – a part of humanity collectively striving to eliminate one of the greatest sources of suffering, namely death itself.

Of course, there are cautions to be heeded. Not every transhumanist experiment would automatically receive a stamp of kashrut (religious approval). Jewish law and ethics would raise questions about particular methods – for instance, the treatment of consciousness, the definition of human identity, or the potential inequalities and justice issues in distributing life-extending technologies. However, the overarching goals of transhumanism – preserving life, improving health, seeking a form of immortality – are deeply, unmistakably compatible with Judaism’s core values. In a world where some cultural forces paradoxically glorify death or trivialize life, the alignment of Jewish thought and transhumanist ambition stands as a powerful counter-narrative. It says: No, we will not go gently into that good night; life is a gift of infinite worth, and we will use every bit of wisdom – whether drawn from Sinai or silicon chips – to cherish and prolong it.

Conclusion
In the final analysis, the question “Is transhumanism compatible with Jewish beliefs?” can be answered with a resounding yes – not only compatible, but complementary. Both transhumanism and Judaism refuse to accept death as the ultimate victor. Both affirm the possibility (and morality) of pushing the boundaries of human existence in the name of life. The Talmud tells of Rabbi Yosef, who fell deathly ill and had a near-death experience, then revived and declared: “Olam hafuch ra’iti” – “I saw an upside-down world” – where those exalted on earth were low in heaven, and vice versa. Our world today can seem upside-down: we have godlike technology but often lack moral compass, or ancient wisdom but fear to apply it in new ways. The synthesis of transhumanist vision with Jewish ethics helps set our world right-side up. It ensures that as we reach for the Tree of Life once more – through code and cure – we do so with reverence, humility, and a sense of shared destiny. In this partnership, the ageless and the futuristic reinforce one another. Silicon Valley’s fascination with conquering aging finds depth and direction from Sinai’s teachings, and Judaism’s age-old prophecies of life without end find a tangible path forward in the laboratories of today. Together, they whisper an answer to humanity’s oldest prayer: Amen – so may it be – eternal life, l’chaim!

Sources:

1. O’Connell, Mark. To Be a Machine. Quote via Goodreads (To be a Machine by Mark O’ Connell | Goodreads).
2. Kate Palmer, The Telegraph (13 March 2016) (Media mogul Dmitry Itskov plans to live forever by uploading his personality to a robot) (Media mogul Dmitry Itskov plans to live forever by uploading his personality to a robot).
3. Dmitry Itskov – Wikipedia (Dmitry Itskov – Wikipedia) (Dmitry Itskov – Wikipedia).
4. 2045 Initiative – mission statement (2045 Initiative – Wikipedia).
5. Singularity Weblog – Interview with Dmitry Itskov (Dmitry Itskov: It’s Time To Think About Who We Are And What’s Our Place In The Universe).
6. Leon R. Kass, “L’Chaim and Its Limits,” First Things (May 2001) (L’Chaim and Its Limits: Why Not Immortality? – First Things) (L’Chaim and Its Limits: Why Not Immortality? – First Things).
7. J. David Bleich, “Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Halachic Approach,” Jewish Virtual Library (Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Halachic Approach) (Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Halachic Approach).
8. Maurice Lamm, “The Concept of Immortality in Judaism,” Chabad.org ( The Concept of Immortality in Judaism – Chabad.org ) ( The Concept of Immortality in Judaism – Chabad.org ).
9. Kabbalah Centre, “Immortality (Part 1)” ( Immortality Part 1 ).
10. Guardian report on Bryan Johnson (The Immortals: meet the billionaires forking out for eternal life | Podcasts | The Guardian).