[ExI] french transhumanists, was RE: MEDIA: "Evolution Haute Couture"

[Stefano Vaj]

On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 6:07 AM, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:
> Question please: in transhumanist functions in general, I perceive a
curious
> lack of participation by the French.

Good question. What I can tell you is that the French landscape has always
been all but devoid of intellectuals close to transhumanist and posthumanist
ideas, or interested thereto. To name a few, see Yves Christen (*Les années
Faust, ou La science face au
vieillissement*<http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/2710704706/qid=1137013392/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl15/403-1370053-3763628>,
Sand, Paris 1991), Rémi Sussan (Les utopies posthumaines : Contre-culture,
cyberculture, culture du
chaos<http://www.amazon.fr/utopies-posthumaines-Contre-culture-cyberculture-culture/dp/2916097015/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218713871&sr=8-1>),
Guillaume Faye (Archeofuturisme <http://foster.20megsfree.com/481.htm>,
L'Aencre, Paris 1991), Charles Campetier ( Avec les robots, par délà le bien
et le mal <http://www.grece-fr.net/textes/_txtWeb.php?idArt=295>). One could
also remember Lyotard and his intellectual progeny or rich, original Web
initiatives such as http://www.lesmutants.com.

On the other hand, part for their language, part for their politics, French
transhumanism and precursors or supporters thereof are probably among the
least connected with the American movement and exponents, to the point that
the WTA spokeperson for the francophone world used to be, if I am not
mistaken,... a Canadian of African origins.

At the Associazione Italiana Transumanisti we are glad however to count in
our ranks Alberto Masala, who, while being Italian, is active in the
recently established Web site at http://www.transhumanistes.com, au centre
d'une possible Association Française Technoprogressiste.

If our general discussions on the possibility of establishing some kind of
umbrella organisation or federation at an European level coalesce, this
might contribute to a higher degree of penetration and visibility of French
transhumanism.

Stefano Vaj
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