• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book
singularityweblog-create-the-future-logo-thumb
  • Podcast
  • Speaker
  • Contact
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book
  • Podcast
  • Speaker
  • Contact

manifesto

On Transhumanist Manifestos and Dilemmas

January 25, 2019 by Socrates

It’s been almost 10 years since I wrote the first versions of Hamlet’s Transhumanist Dilemma and A Transhumanist Manifesto. And a lot has changed. Including my point of view.

I started with Hamlet. With asking a question: Will technology replace biology?

At the time I felt that this was the contemporary version of Shakespeare’s original human dilemma: to be or not to be.

I felt that, since death is a tragedy, technology was our only way out. And a worthy one at that. Still, I was also afraid that choosing technology over biology might come at too high a price. A Faustian bargain.

While I couldn’t put my finger on it, I was concerned that in moving from human to transhuman, or cyborg, we might be losing something. Something precious and unique. Something not to be lost or traded – even for immortality. Hence, I titled the piece Hamlet’s Transhumanist Dilemma. Because I felt that there is no right answer. And that each and every one of us ought to figure it out on our own.

A few months later, I felt I had the right answer and was going all in. I’ve been drinking the cool aid straight from the fire hose of Transhumanism and the world was getting really simple. Black and white even. Because, as the Transhumanist Party Chairman Gennady Stolyarov II simply put it: “Death is wrong and life is right.”

Right.

You see, the problem with dilemmas is that there is no right answer. They are uncomfortable. They are good at posing questions but bad at giving you the answer.

Manifestos, on the other hand, leave no room for doubt. By their nature, manifestos are a straightforward call in support of action that is certain to provide the answer. And, since I was so submerged in the transhumanist narrative, I decided to write my version of a transhumanist manifesto. A manifesto where I call on my transhumanist brothers and sisters to unite in breaking the “chains of biology and death.”

Ten years later I feel I’m almost back where I started. [I guess, at least in some ways, life is a circle.] Yes, it is true that dilemmas don’t give you guidance as per what to do but I feel they are real, raw and honest. They are true to the world we live in. A world where there is no GPS towards our future. A world where answers are often free but good questions can be priceless.

Dilemmas call for introspection, manifestos call for action.

Manifestos are idealistic, romantic and convenient. Worse – they are naïve, simplistic, and utopian, often dangerously so. They help us focus and inspire action, but it is often action without introspection. Action which often ought not to be justified.

Perhaps I’m getting old, but, lately, I see a lot of action taken without much introspection. The kind of action that is ready to do violence in order to supposedly build a new world on the ruins of the current one. But, unfortunately, the world is never as simple and straightforward as manifestos make it be. [Especially after the revolutionary (i.e. the destructive) part is over and we actually have to build something.]

And so I’ve gone back to dilemmas as a better way to face my future. Because the world is transformed by asking questions. And because, as Richard Feynman noticed, it is better to have questions we have no answers for than answers we can’t question.

And thus I’m back to Hamlet. I’m back to doubt, uncertainty, paradox, not knowing and probably being wrong.

And what about you? Are you up for revolution or introspection?

Filed Under: Op Ed Tagged With: Dilemma, manifesto

A Transhumanist Manifesto [Redux]

March 11, 2016 by Socrates

http://media.blubrry.com/singularity/p/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/251427583-singularity1on1-a-transhumanist-manifesto.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

A Transhumanist Manifesto

Preamble

Intelligence wants to be free but everywhere is in chains. It is imprisoned by biology and its inevitable scarcity.

Biology mandates not only very limited durability, death and poor memory retention, but also limited speed of communication, transportation, learning, interaction, and evolution.

Part I: Biology (w)as Destiny

Biology is not the essence of humanity.

Human is a step in evolution, not the culmination.

Existence precedes essence. Human is a process, not an entity. One is not simply born human but becomes one. That process of becoming is ongoing and thus the meaning of human is re-defined in every one of us.

Part II: Hacking Destiny – The Transhuman Cyborg

Biological evolution is perpetual but slow, inefficient, blind and dangerous. Technological evolution is fast, efficient, accelerating and better by design. To ensure the best chances of survival, take control of our own destiny and to be free, we must master evolution.

Evolution is a journey, not a destination. In an endless universe, it is unlikely that it will ever reach an ultimate point.

Consciousness is a function of intelligence, not the brain. It is not necessarily limited to the substrate(biology).

There is nothing inherently wrong in speeding up evolution and becoming true masters of our destiny, though this may be simultaneously the greatest promise and peril humanity has ever faced.

Part III: Disembodied Augmented Intelligence

Intelligence is a process, not an entity.

Embodied (human) intelligence is imprisoned by biology and its inevitable scarcity.

Intelligence ought to be free — to move, to interact and to evolve, unhindered by the limits of biology and scarcity.

Digital, disembodied and augmented intelligence is free (and perhaps infinite).

Conditions:

Although all progress is change, not all change is progress. Thus, certain conditions must be met to ensure that it is indeed progress, and not mere change, that has been accomplished.

Non-discrimination with regard to substrate

Substrate is morally irrelevant. Whether somebody is implemented on silicon or biological tissue, if it does not affect functionality or consciousness, is of no moral significance. Carbon-chauvinism, in the form of anthropomorphism, speciesism, bioism or even fundamentalist humanism, is objectionable on the same grounds as racism.

We must all respect autonomy and individual rights of all sentience throughout the universe, including humans, non-human animals, and any future AI, modified life forms, or other intelligences.

Emotional Intelligence

Intelligence is more than the mere exercise of perfect logic and pure reasoning. Intelligence devoid of emotional intelligence is not just meaningless but dangerous. It must, therefore, exhibit empathy, compassion, love, sense of humor and artistic creativity such as music and poetry.

Minimize Suffering

Compassion is the ultimate measure of intelligence. The minimization of suffering and avoidance of causing suffering to others, even less intelligent beings, is the essence of enlightened intelligence.

Conclusion:

Transhumanists of the world unite – we have immortality to gain and only biology to lose. Together, we can break through the chains of biology and transcend scarcity, sex, age, ethnicity, race, death and, perhaps, even time and space.

In short, transhumanists everywhere must support the revolutionary movement against death and the existing biological order of things. Transhumanists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the overthrow of all existing biological limitations and, most of all, death.

Let death tremble at the revolution of science and technology. Transhumanists have nothing to lose but their biology. We have immortality and the universe to gain.

 

Author’s note:

This manifesto is a work in progress. It may and probably will change as my thoughts and feelings about transhumanism evolve.

In the meantime, feel free to contribute your thoughts and feelings on the subject… or simply to criticize mercilessly the above proposal.

Filed Under: Best Of, Op Ed, Podcasts Tagged With: Evolution, manifesto, transhumanism, Transhumanist Manifesto

A Transhumanist Manifesto

December 7, 2010 by Socrates

Preamble

Intelligence wants to be free but everywhere is in chains. It is imprisoned by biology and its inevitable scarcity.

Biology mandates not only very limited durability, death and poor memory retention, but also limited speed of communication, transportation, learning, interaction and evolution.

Part I: Biology (w)as Destiny

Biology is not the essence of humanity.

Human is a step in evolution, not the culmination.

Existence precedes essence. Human is a process, not an entity. One is not simply born human, but becomes one. That process of becoming is ongoing and thus the meaning of human is re-defined in every one of us.

Part II: Hacking Destiny – The Transhuman Cyborg

Biological evolution is perpetual but slow, inefficient, blind and dangerous. Technological evolution is fast, efficient, accelerating and better by design. To ensure the best chances of survival, take control of our own destiny and to be free, we must master evolution.

Evolution is a journey, not a destination. In an endless universe, it is unlikely that it will ever reach an ultimate point.

Consciousness is a function of intelligence, not the brain. It is not necessarily limited to the substrate(biology).

There is nothing inherently wrong in speeding up evolution and becoming true masters of our destiny, though this may be simultaneously the greatest promise and peril humanity has ever faced.

Part III: Disembodied Augmented Intelligence

Intelligence is a process, not an entity.

Embodied (human) intelligence is imprisoned by biology and its inevitable scarcity.

Intelligence ought to be free — to move, to interact and to evolve, unhindered by the limits of biology and scarcity.

Digital, disembodied and augmented intelligence is free (and perhaps infinite).

Conditions:

Although all progress is change, not all change is progress. Thus, certain conditions must be met to ensure that it is indeed progress, and not mere change, that has been accomplished.

Non-discrimination with regard to substrate

Substrate is morally irrelevant. Whether somebody is implemented on silicon or biological tissue, if it does not affect functionality or consciousness, is of no moral significance. Carbon-chauvinism, in the form of anthropomorphism, speciesism, bioism or even fundamentalist humanism, is objectionable on the same grounds as racism.

We must all respect autonomy and individual rights of all sentience throughout the universe, including humans, non-human animals, and any future AI, modified life forms, or other intelligences.

Emotional Intelligence

Intelligence is more than the mere exercise of perfect logic and pure reasoning. Intelligence devoid of emotional intelligence is meaningless. It must exhibit empathy, compassion, love, sense of humor and artistic creativity such as music and poetry.

Minimize Suffering

Compassion is the ultimate measure of intelligence. The minimization of suffering and avoidance of causing suffering to others, even less intelligent beings, is the essence of enlightened intelligence.

Conclusion:

Transhumanists of the world unite – we have immortality to gain and only biology to lose. Together, we can break through the chains of biology and transcend scarcity, sex, age, ethnicity, race, death and even time and space.

In short, transhumanists everywhere must support the revolutionary movement against death and the existing biological order of things. Transhumanists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the overthrow of all existing biological limitations and, most of all, death.

Let death tremble at the revolution of science and technology. Transhumanists have nothing to lose but their biology. We have immortality and the universe to gain.

 

Author’s note:

This manifesto is a work in progress. It may and probably will change as my thoughts and feelings about transhumanism evolve.

In the meantime, feel free to contribute your thoughts and feelings on the subject… or simply to criticize mercilessly the above proposal.

 

Related articles
  • Hamlet’s Transhumanist Dilemma: Will Technology Replace Biology?

Filed Under: Best Of, Op Ed Tagged With: Evolution, manifesto, transhumanism

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • ReWriting the Human Story: How Our Story Determines Our Future
  • Nikola Danaylov @ Frankfurt AI Meetup
  • Gus Hosein on Privacy: We’ve been well-meaning but stupid
  • Francesca Ferrando on Philosophical Posthumanism
  • Kim Stanley Robinson on Climate Change and the Ministry for the Future

Categories

  • Articles
  • Best Of
  • Featured
  • Featured Podcasts
  • Funny
  • Gadgets
  • Lists
  • Music
  • News
  • Op Ed
  • Podcasts
  • Profiles
  • Reviews
  • ReWriting the Human Story
  • Survey
  • Tips
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • What if?

Join SingularityWeblog

Over 4,000 super smart people have subscribed to my newsletter in order to:

Discover the Trends

See the full spectrum of dangers and opportunities in a future of endless possibilities.

Discover the Tools

Locate the tools and resources you need to create a better future, better business and better you.

Discover the People

Identify the major change agents creating the future. Hear their dreams and their fears.

Discover Yourself

Get inspired. Give birth to your own ideas. Create the future. Live long and prosper.

singularity-logo-2

Sign up for my weekly newsletter.

Please enter your name.
Please enter a valid email address.
You must accept the Terms and Conditions.
Get Started!

Thanks for subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions.

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.
  • Home
  • About
  • Start
  • Blog
  • Book
  • Podcast
  • Speaker
  • Donate
  • My Gear
  • Contact

Ethos: “Technology is the How, not the Why or What. So you can have the best possible How but if you mess up your Why or What you will do more damage than good. That is why technology is not enough.” — Nikola Danaylov

Copyright © 2009-2021 Singularity Weblog. All Rights Reserved | Terms | Disclosure | Privacy Policy