Syncretism

On Page 411 of his book Origin Dan Brown writes of humans as a hybrid, (what was historically and biologically (half-beast and half-angel) is now 1/4 beast, 1/4 angel and 1/2 robot: "'Human beings are evolving into something different,' he declared. 'We are becoming a hybrid species--a fusion of biology and technology. The same tools today that live outside our bodies--smart phones, hearing aids, reading glasses, most pharmaceuticals--in fifty years will be incorporated into our bodies to such an extent that we will no longer be able to consider ourselves Homo sapiens. . . we will look back on today's Homo sapiens  the same way that we look back on Neanderthal man. New technologies like cybernetics, synthetic intelligence, cryonics, molecular engineering, and virtual reality will forever change what it means to be human.'"

I do not consider the futuristic vision of Brown, and his hero, Edmund, to be fantastic or far-fetched.

Rather, it will occur, more or less as they predict. Brown, obvious an atheist and secular humanist, does not take God or Lucifer's existences, alternative plans for humanity and the world, and how the incessant battle between good and evil raging in every human soul are all disregarded by Brown.

All these wondrous technologies can be used for good or for evil, and they will either usher in heaven on earth or hell on earth.

Humans are still 1/4th beast, and a world run by Lucifer, the worship of God the good deity and the training in and practicing of virtuous living being absent, people unenlightened as to the benefits of Mavelllonialism, people living in packs--all these negative influences on our condition and outcome do make it more likely that we shall fail than succeed.

With Mavellonialist training, our beastly core, our angelic side strengthened through personal individualizing, and the individuator's powerful singular personal will can compel the robot side of our natures to serve the natural, animal side.

It could all still work out, but of course there are no guarantees one way or the other.