[extropy-chat] Transhumanism and Ayn Rand

[Jeff Medina]

His concern is pretty common; people don't like the idea of
"surpassing humanity" -- even some transhumanists (or technoethicist
friends of transhumanists). For example, see Dale's two part essay
"The Trouble with Transhumanism"
Part 1: http://ieet.org/writings/Carrico2004trouble1.htm
Part 2: http://ieet.org/writings/Carrico2004trouble2.htm

I think it's really just a semantical matter whether transhumanism is
about "surpassing humanism" or whether it's about, as Dale puts it,
creating more ways to be human. I see no problem with approaching it
from the latter view.

If the fellow you met has no problem with using Lasik or LE diets, he
should have no problem with pretty much any of the other H+
enhancement possibilities. The one exception might be uploading, if
he's substrate-biased (i.e., has a particular affinity for a
meat-based body, for reasons unbeknownst to me and not related to Rand
in any way I can think of). But not all transhumanists want to upload,
so that shouldn't stop him either, even if it were something he
considered "surpassing humanity." Do you have his e-mail or IM or
anything? Feel free to pass him mine if you like.

Jeff
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Jeffrey Alexander Medina
Relationships and Community Fellow, Institute for Ethics and Emerging
Technologies
Volunteer Coordinator, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
Department of Philosophy, Birkbeck College London
Technology Consultant, AT&T Corp.