[ExI] The Manifesto of Italian Transhumanists

[Samantha Atkins]

On Feb 29, 2008, at 11:16 AM, Jef Allbright wrote:

> On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 10:25 AM, Amara Graps <amara at amara.com> wrote:
>> Jef Allbright jef at jefallbright.net :
>>> 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) ...
>>
>> Heh.. I rather like my child-like visions of individual  
>> attainment. :-)
>
> The Japanese like them too, with their extremely cute anime
> characters, Pokemon, etc., their super-futuristic toy robots and
> dressed-up motorcycles, their super-heroes and on and on.  But the
> cultural difference is that these are more generally identified with
> child-like narrow self-interest, while greatness and wisdom are widely
> associated with identification (and corresponding action) within a
> context broader than the individual.

I don't believe that true rational self-interest is at all narrow or  
child-like.   Nor do I believe that the context has to be collective  
to be wise.

- samantha