[ExI] The Manifesto of Italian Transhumanists

[Samantha Atkins]

On Feb 29, 2008, at 10:55 AM, Stefano Vaj wrote:

> On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 4:26 PM, Jef Allbright  
> <jef at jefallbright.net> wrote:
>> On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 6:48 AM, John Grigg <possiblepaths2050 at gmail.com 
>> > wrote:
>>>
>>> I have always been fascinated by how Transhumanistic ideas/ 
>>> cryonics, etc.,
>>> seem to find fertile ground in some nations/regions, but not  
>>> others.  I
>>> would have thought Japan would strongly embrace Transhumanism but  
>>> that has
>>> not been the case as far as I know.
>>
>> Generally speaking, the Japanese have embraced promotion of human
>> values via increasingly effective technological means to an extent
>> significantly **exceeding** popular acceptance in the US, Canada, and
>> Europe.  I suspect that what your perceive as non-Transhumanism is  
>> the
>> relative deemphasis of child-like visions of individual attainment
>> (god-like powers, expanded hedonism, personal immortality) favored by
>> many in the west.
>
> According to various interesting polls, I believe it fair to say that
> the country the most transhumanist by far in terms of popular
> mentality is without any doubt India.

I don't see how that could be.  Perhaps among the young and  
technically trained.  But that is a small segment of the population.   
Much of the country is still mired in poverty and very mystical and  
superstitious religion.   Among the many Indian tech people I know not  
one has embraced transhumanism.  Where are these polls?  I missed them.

> Taking into account the cultural
> and religious legacy that Europe has to a large extent repressed
> during centuries of monotheist egemony, but that has always more or
> less been active in India, I must say that I am hardly surprised.

What does this have to do with it?  The notion of reincarnation, karma  
and the wheel of rebirth until sufficiently renouncing the material  
world is strong in both Buddhism and Hinduism.   I don't see how that  
is very compatible.

- samantha