Human Performance Commoditization and Future War: The Requirement for a Dominant Spirituality
Abstract
Advances in the civilian fields of computation, genetics, robotics, and nanotechnology will optimize human performance to the extent that a future person's physical and mental abilities will not only be superior but also manifestly different than the current human form. With increasingly ubiquitous civilian access to emergent technology of all kinds, human enhancement will be available to anyone -- including an adversary. The battle field will be different when both belligerents field a warrior with a physiologically optimized body that houses a cognitively optimized mind. At that time, when the character of war changes, a new type of war will emerge. This paper investigates what must also be developed to retain the asymmetrical tactical advantage necessary to win when US and enemy soldiers achieve physical and mental parity. In short, the US military must develop the spirituality of its enhanced warriors as well as create an operating concept which leverages the tactical asymmetry afforded by a "spiritually dominant" soldier.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 18, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1178796
Entities
People
- Michael J. Regner
Organizations
- Marine Corps University