The aim of the paper is to show how the concept of secularization, elaborated
by Karl Löwith, can be used to explain both the emergence of the ideology of
progress and that of transhumanism. Through a brief genealogical reconstruction
of the historization of the Christian concept of eschaton, we would like to expose
firstly the change undergone by the concept of progress, which was at first linked
to advances in the individual arts and sciences, but later was used to conceive of
and to explain the inner movement of history. Secondly, we would like to point
out how the ideology of progress constitutes the deepest conceptual root of the
transhumanist movement. According to transhumanists, indeed, the human nature
represents a limit that must be overcome, through scientific achievement and technological breakthroughs, in order to achieve immortality, eternal youth and perfect health. The progress outlined by transhumanists becomes a progress that no longer pursues any determined purpose, but rather ends up being a ‘destiny’ that can lead humanity to self-destruction. To avoid this terrifying outcome, we seek, in agreement with Löwith, to recover a different idea of nature, no longer identified with the Cartesian rex extensa. On the other hand, however, we point out that there is an idea of nature in Christianity that would exceed even the limits of Löwith’s vision.