[extropy-chat] Dante and transhumanism

[Giu1i0 Pri5c0]

Compilation of interesting bits appeared on the Extropy list in a
thread dedicated to the Wikipedia article onTranshumanism.

Dante, Paradiso I:

"Trasumanar significar per verba
non si poria; però l'essemplo basti
a cui esperienza grazia serba."

English: "The passing beyond humanity may not be set forth in words: therefore,
let the example suffice any for whom grace reserves that experience."

>From a blog on "Dante's Singularity" (!):
"I believe this is the first use of the word "transhuman", in any
variation, recorded. Recently, the term "transhuman" has been picked
up by some of the more outré futurists."
http://www.bookcase.com/~claudia/mt/archives/000702.html

Natasha: "The core idea of trans- humanism stems from many visionaries
and writers and it can be traced back to Alighieri Dante. The Italian
verb "transumanare" or "transumanar" was used for the first time by
Dante (1265-1321) in the Divine Comedy. It means "go outside the human
condition and perception" and in English could be "to Transhumanate"
or "to Transhumanize"."
http://www.americanantigravity.com/documents/Natasha-Vita-More-Interview.pdf

Actually the verb used in Dante's original is "trasumanar" (without
n). It makes sense since the n in "trans" is usually dropped in
Italian, e.g. trascendere, trasferire, trasformare etc. But many
modern authors, especially those who wish to establish a link between
Dante and modern transhumanism, quote also the Italian original with
"transumanar".
Of course Dante did not mean technology-enabled transcendence, but
something of a more spitirual nature. At the same time, the concept of
"passing beyond humanity" is there, and Dante could not have imagined
the possibility of using technology to pass beyond humanity.

So:
Should we say Trasumanar or Transumanar (the first is Dante's
original, the second is also used and definitely sounds better)?
Should we welcome Dante as one of the founding fathers of
transhumanism, in the sense of "aspiration to pass beyond humanity"?