[ExI] Nikolai Fedorov and technological resurrection

[BillK]

On Tue, 6 May 2025 at 15:31, Giulio Prisco via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
> Time will tell! A very long time I guess.
> _______________________________________________


I asked Perplexity AI to research Fedorov's idea of universal resurrection.
I thought the resulting report was very interesting- see below.
One thought that occurred to me was whether evil people should be
resurrected, especially as the definition of 'evil' changes throughout
civilisations and time.
BillK

Question -The philosopher Nikolai Fedorov suggested that in the future it
might be possible to resurrect all the human dead. What are the
difficulties with this idea and will it ever be possible?

Perplexity AI -
Nikolai Fedorov's Vision of Universal Resurrection: Challenges and
Possibilities

Nikolai Fedorov (1829-1903), a Russian Orthodox Christian philosopher known
as the "Socrates of Moscow," proposed one of history's most audacious
ideas: the scientific resurrection of all humans who have ever lived. This
radical concept, part of his "Philosophy of the Common Task," represents
perhaps the ultimate challenge to mortality and forms a cornerstone of
Russian cosmism, a philosophical movement that preceded modern
transhumanism. While Fedorov's vision might seem fantastical, recent
scientific advances have begun to blur the boundaries between life and
death, prompting renewed examination of resurrection's theoretical
possibilities. This report analyzes Fedorov's revolutionary proposal, the
multifaceted challenges it presents, and assesses whether such a project
could ever move from philosophical speculation to achievable reality.
Fedorov's Philosophy and the Common Task

Nikolai Fedorov's philosophy emerged from a unique blend of Orthodox
Christianity and forward-thinking scientific speculation. As the founder of
Russian cosmism, Fedorov envisioned humans not as passive spectators of
cosmic processes but as active participants with responsibility for the
universe's ultimate destiny16
<https://www.e-flux.com/journal/89/180332/art-as-the-overcoming-of-death-from-nikolai-fedorov-to-the-cosmists-of-the-1920s/>
. His vision extended far beyond personal immortality to encompass what he
termed the "Common Task" – humanity's moral obligation to resurrect all who
have ever lived.

Fedorov's understanding of resurrection fundamentally challenged
traditional approaches to death. Rather than accepting mortality as
inevitable, he saw it as a problem to be solved through scientific and
spiritual advancement18
<https://jeanpaulmartinon.net/on-nikolai-fedorovs-death/>. For Fedorov,
this resurrection wasn't merely a religious miracle but a scientific
imperative that would unite humanity across time. He held that "we can
become immortal and godlike through rational efforts and that our moral
obligation is to create a heaven to be shared by all who ever lived"20.

The cosmist aesthetic Fedorov developed was intimately bound with
immortality, interpreting life itself as a striving toward transcending
death16
<https://www.e-flux.com/journal/89/180332/art-as-the-overcoming-of-death-from-nikolai-fedorov-to-the-cosmists-of-the-1920s/>
. By declaring that "life is good, and death is evil," Fedorov united
ethics with ontology, making the conquest of death humanity's highest moral
calling. Although deeply influenced by Orthodox Christianity's emphasis on
bodily resurrection, Fedorov's vision transcended traditional religious
frameworks, becoming "the power of a universal transformation"18
<https://jeanpaulmartinon.net/on-nikolai-fedorovs-death/>.
Beyond Literal Interpretations

A common misunderstanding of Fedorov's philosophy involves interpreting his
resurrection project too literally – as merely digging up graves and
reassembling decomposed remains. However, his conception was far more
sophisticated. For Fedorov, the dead are not truly gone but persist as
"minute particles of dust, the very embodiment of the process of
resurrection itself"18
<https://jeanpaulmartinon.net/on-nikolai-fedorovs-death/>. His famous call
for the "death of death" represents a summons for humanity to participate
in an ongoing cosmic process by fundamentally transforming our relationship
with nature.

Fedorov envisioned using science to "gather scattered molecules and atoms
to 'put them into the bodies of the fathers'"20. This approach positions
science alongside art and religion in the Common Task of uniting humanity
across time – bringing the dead into communion with the living through
advanced technological means. His vision thus transcends mere physical
reconstruction, aiming instead at a comprehensive transformation of reality
itself.
Scientific and Technical Challenges

Translating Fedorov's philosophical vision into scientific reality presents
enormous challenges. Modern approaches to reversing death fall into several
categories, each with distinct limitations and possibilities.
The Preservation Problem

The most fundamental challenge to resurrection is the decay and dispersion
of human remains after death. Without preservation, the information needed
for reconstruction rapidly degrades. Modern cryonics attempts to address
this through vitrification – cooling brain tissue to cryogenic temperatures
without ice formation. While theoretically sound, this approach faces
significant practical difficulties:

   1.

   Achieving sufficient cryoprotectant concentration to prevent ice
   formation while minimizing tissue damage
   2.

   Managing the inverse relationship between cryoprotectant toxicity and
   temperature
   3.

   Scaling rapid cooling techniques to larger tissues15
   <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4733321/>

Even under ideal conditions, the time interval between clinical death and
cryopreservation procedures must be minimized – preferably under one minute
– though longer delays may still be compatible with ultimate preservation15
<https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4733321/>. Without such
preservation, the molecular information that constituted a person becomes
increasingly dispersed and degraded with time, potentially beyond recovery.
Reconstruction Methodologies

Several theoretical approaches to resurrection have been proposed, each
with distinct parameters and limitations:

   1.

   *Cloning*: While technically the simplest approach, cloning "does not
   preserve identity and does not preserve personal memories"14
   <https://philarchive.org/archive/TURCOA-3>. A clone would share genetic
   identity but none of the memories or personality of the original person.
   2.

   *Digital Immortality*: This approach involves preserving sufficient data
   about a person to allow future reconstruction by advanced artificial
   intelligence. While potentially promising, it requires both comprehensive
   data collection before death and future AI capabilities far beyond current
   technology14 <https://philarchive.org/archive/TURCOA-3>.
   3.

   *Simulation-Based Approaches*: More speculative paths involve
   superintelligent systems operating at galactic scales, which might simulate
   all possible people who have ever existed. This approach sidesteps the need
   for continuous preservation but requires computational resources of almost
   unimaginable magnitude14 <https://philarchive.org/archive/TURCOA-3>.
   4.

   *Novel Physical Approaches*: The most speculative methods involve
   yet-undiscovered physical laws that might enable time travel or information
   retrieval from the past14 <https://philarchive.org/archive/TURCOA-3>.

Recent experimental advances demonstrate that our understanding of death
itself is evolving. Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have shown that
a pig's brain, removed four hours after death, could be partially revived
with cellular activity resuming. When adapted to human brains, such
techniques could potentially preserve neural information beyond current
limitations17
<https://slguardian.org/reversing-death-breakthrough-experiments-suggest-resurrection-is-possible/>
. These developments suggest death may be less an event than a process –
one potentially subject to interruption or reversal given sufficient
technological advancement.
Philosophical and Identity Challenges

Beyond the technical challenges lie profound philosophical questions about
personal identity and what would constitute authentic resurrection. These
questions strike at the heart of what makes someone the "same person"
across time.
The Problem of Personal Identity

Philosopher Derek Parfit's work on personal identity provides a useful
framework for understanding these challenges. According to Parfit, there is
no "necessarily determinate and indivisible soul" that constitutes personal
identity. Instead, identity consists of "psychological continuity that
persists as a result of an appropriate cause" – what he terms "Relation R"13
<https://iep.utm.edu/fedorov/>.

This understanding problematizes resurrection in fundamental ways. If
identity is not an indivisible essence but a type of psychological
continuity maintained through causal connections, what would constitute
authentic resurrection? Simply recreating a physically identical body would
not necessarily preserve the psychological continuity that constitutes
personhood. The philosophical challenge, therefore, isn't merely technical
but conceptual – determining what aspects of a person must be preserved for
resurrection to be meaningful.
The Algorithmic Challenge

One framing of the resurrection problem treats it as fundamentally
computational. If human personalities and memories could be understood as
algorithmic patterns, resurrection might involve recreating these patterns
with sufficient fidelity19
<https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1gmpdfa/resurrection_feasible_in_theory_as_an_algorithmic/>
. The question becomes: how many variables would need to be correctly
modeled to create a functionally equivalent version of a historical person?
This approach treats resurrection as an information problem rather than a
metaphysical one, though questions of authenticity remain.

The philosophical challenge extends to questions of version control – at
what age should someone be resurrected? With which memories and personality
characteristics? These questions have no obvious answers but would need
resolution for any practical resurrection project.
Ethical and Practical Considerations

Fedorov's resurrection project raises profound ethical questions that
extend beyond its technical feasibility. These considerations would shape
any serious attempt to implement such a vision.
Consent and Autonomy

A fundamental ethical question concerns consent. Would it be ethical to
resurrect individuals who never consented to resurrection? Some might view
unwanted resurrection as a violation of autonomy equivalent to unwanted
life extension. Conversely, others might argue that offering life to those
who have died represents the ultimate humanitarian act.
Resource Allocation and Priority

The material and computational resources required for universal
resurrection would be staggering. Even if technically possible, practical
implementation would require unprecedented resources, raising questions
about priority. Should resources be directed toward resurrecting the
recently deceased, for whom more information remains intact, or
historically significant figures? Should resources instead prioritize the
living?
Social Integration and Psychological Impact

Resurrection would create unprecedented social challenges. Resurrected
individuals from different historical periods would face profound
psychological disorientation in a future world. Societies would need to
develop frameworks for integrating potentially billions of resurrected
individuals with vastly different worldviews, technologies, and cultural
expectations.
Theological and Cultural Implications

For many religious traditions, resurrection has profound theological
significance. Scientific resurrection would fundamentally transform these
traditions, potentially creating conflicts between technological and
spiritual understandings of life after death. Different cultures and faith
traditions would likely respond in dramatically different ways to such
developments.
Current Progress and Future Possibilities

Recent scientific advances suggest that while universal resurrection
remains distant, our understanding of death is becoming increasingly
nuanced. Breakthroughs in several fields offer partial pathways toward
aspects of Fedorov's vision.
Redefinition of Death

Traditional definitions of death as the cessation of heart and brain
activity are being challenged by recent research. A 2023 study revealed
that moments after life support was withdrawn from dying patients, their
brains exhibited bursts of gamma waves associated with consciousness17
<https://slguardian.org/reversing-death-breakthrough-experiments-suggest-resurrection-is-possible/>
. Such findings suggest death occurs across a spectrum rather than as a
binary event, creating potential opportunities for intervention.

The Yale experiments with pig brains demonstrate that cellular brain
activity can be restored hours after clinical death, fundamentally
challenging our understanding of neural decay17
<https://slguardian.org/reversing-death-breakthrough-experiments-suggest-resurrection-is-possible/>
. While these experiments deliberately prevented the reemergence of
consciousness, they suggest biological function may be more recoverable
than previously thought.
Computational Advances

Advances in artificial intelligence and computational power continue at an
exponential pace. While current technology cannot simulate a complete human
mind, the theoretical framework for such simulation continues to develop.
As computational resources grow, the possibility of preserving and
potentially reconstructing aspects of human personalities becomes
increasingly plausible, though complete recreation remains distant14
<https://philarchive.org/archive/TURCOA-3>.
Emerging Preservation Technologies

Cryonics continues to advance, with improvements in preservation chemicals
reducing toxicity while maintaining protective effects. The window of
opportunity between legal death and irretrievable information loss
continues to expand as we better understand the processes of cellular death
15 <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4733321/>. While current
techniques remain imperfect, they represent potential bridges to more
advanced future technologies.
Conclusion: Assessing the Feasibility of Fedorov's Vision

Nikolai Fedorov's vision of universal resurrection represents one of
history's most ambitious technological and philosophical proposals. While
current technology cannot achieve this vision, neither can we definitively
declare it impossible. The feasibility of resurrection depends largely on
how we define it and what aspects of personhood we consider essential to
preserve.

If resurrection requires perfect recreation of every atom in a person's
body, it likely remains forever impossible due to fundamental physical
limitations including information loss and the no-cloning theorem of
quantum mechanics. However, if we adopt Parfit's view that personal
identity consists of psychological continuity maintained through
appropriate causal relationships, partial forms of resurrection might
eventually become possible through sufficiently advanced technology13
<https://iep.utm.edu/fedorov/>14 <https://philarchive.org/archive/TURCOA-3>.

The most promising approach may involve combinations of preservation
technologies for the recently deceased and reconstructive technologies for
those long dead. As one analysis concludes, "if large-scale future
technological development occurs, some form of resurrection seems plausible"
14 <https://philarchive.org/archive/TURCOA-3> – though perhaps not in the
comprehensive form Fedorov envisioned.

What remains most significant about Fedorov's vision is not its immediate
practicality but its moral force – the proposition that humanity should
unite around conquering death rather than accepting it as inevitable. As
technological capabilities continue to advance, what once seemed purely
speculative increasingly intersects with scientific possibility, ensuring
that Fedorov's radical vision will continue to challenge and inspire
humanity's relationship with mortality.
Citations:

   1. https://www.thespacereview.com/article/873/1
   2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_cosmism
   3.
   https://peacefulscience.org/articles/daniel-ang-a-scientist-looks-at-the-resurrection/
   4. https://cornfieldtheology.com/3-objections-to-the-ressurection/
   5.
   https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a35788050/dyson-sphere-digital-resurrection-immortality/
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryonics
   7.
   https://www.alcor.org/library/a-cryopreservation-revival-scenario-using-molecular-nanotechnology/
   8.
   https://www.cnsnevada.com/what-is-the-memory-capacity-of-a-human-brain/
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreversible_process
   10. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24389303
   11. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4560723
   12.
   http://philosimplicity.com/blog/2019/10/28/teletransporter-paradox-personal-identity-philosophy/
   13. https://iep.utm.edu/fedorov/
   14. https://philarchive.org/archive/TURCOA-3
   15. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4733321/
   16.
   https://www.e-flux.com/journal/89/180332/art-as-the-overcoming-of-death-from-nikolai-fedorov-to-the-cosmists-of-the-1920s/
   17.
   https://slguardian.org/reversing-death-breakthrough-experiments-suggest-resurrection-is-possible/
   18. https://jeanpaulmartinon.net/on-nikolai-fedorovs-death/
   19.
   https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1gmpdfa/resurrection_feasible_in_theory_as_an_algorithmic/
   20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Fyodorov_(philosopher)
   21. https://wjbphs.com/sites/default/files/WJBPHS-2024-0785.pdf
   22. https://deponysum.com/2020/02/16/the-resurrection-of-the-dead/
   23. https://archiv.hkw.de/en/programm/projekte/veranstaltung/p_135477.php
   24.
   https://biologos.org/articles/can-a-scientist-believe-in-the-resurrection-part-1
   25.
   https://andrewmbailey.com/papers/Trenton%20Merricks/Oxford-Handbk-Resurrection.pdf
   26.
   https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1aojmys/complexities_of_reviving_the_dead/
   27.
   https://sarahjyoung.com/site/2013/03/05/russian-thought-lecture-9-nikolai-fedorov-and-the-utopia-of-the-resurrected/
   28.
   https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210420-cosmism-russias-religion-for-the-rocket-age
   29. https://www.gbnews.com/health/live-longer-tips-reverse-death
   30.
   https://www.reddit.com/r/ChristianApologetics/comments/1279gww/what_is_the_biggest_objection_to_the_resurrection/
   31. https://medicalfuturist.com/are-you-going-to-wake-up-from-cryosleep/
   32.
   https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-proto-communist-plan-to-resurrect-everyone-who-ever-lived/
   33.
   https://gracechurchsw.com/blog/2019/4/24/objections-to-and-evidence-for-the-resurrection
   34.
   https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/C5ryrg5ktngwsZHnX/resurrection-through-simulation-questions-of-feasibility
   35.
   https://www.patheos.com/blogs/formationmatters/2024/03/jesus-resurrection-and-the-laws-of-thermodynamics/
   36.
   https://www.magiscenter.com/blog/quantum-logic-last-days-and-the-resurrection-of-the-dead
   37. https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a63459169/brain-reanimation/
   38.
   https://tidsskriftet.no/en/2017/12/fra-redaktoren/resurrection-body-and-life-everlasting
   39. https://www.icr.org/ChristResurrection
   40. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef1-rQ9er6k
   41.
   https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26435193-700-the-radical-treatments-bringing-people-back-from-the-brink-of-death/
   42. https://philarchive.org/archive/RICDBR-2
   43. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5748528/
   44. https://tedsider.org/books/chapters_1_5.pdf
   45. https://academic.oup.com/jlb/article/10/2/lsad028/7381683
   46. https://www.alcor.org/docs/cryostasis-revival-summary.pdf
   47. https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevE.106.014401
   48. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpur62rjYuw
   49.
   https://www.thehumanfront.com/Pocketsized-/the-personal-identity-of-clones
   50.
   https://www.livescience.com/health/death/we-dont-yet-have-the-know-how-to-properly-maintain-a-corpse-brain-why-cryonics-is-a-non-starter-in-our-quest-for-immortality
   51.
   https://www.cryonicsarchive.org/library/molecular-repair-of-the-brain/
   52.
   https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/aug/energy-demands-limit-our-brains-information-processing-capacity
   53.
   https://www.surrey.ac.uk/arrow-of-time/themes/quantum-thermodynamics-and-emergence-irreversibility
   54.
   https://www.alevelphilosophy.co.uk/handouts_religion/Personalidentityoverview.pdf
   55. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19788649/
   56. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40024197
   57. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_uploading
   58. https://www.bethinking.org/resurrection/the-resurrection
   59. https://www.philosophytalk.org/blog/parfit-and-selves-matter
   60.
   https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315600147-12/resurrection-personal-identity-god-stephen-davis
   61. https://philpapers.org/archive/GOLUFA.pdf
   62. https://iep.utm.edu/resurrec/
   63. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletransportation_paradox
   64.
   https://ehrmanblog.org/materialism-personal-identity-and-resurrection-part-1-platinum-post-by-dennis-j-folds-ph-d/
   65.
   https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/concept-mind-uploading-its-potential-implications-frank-b-prempeh-ii
   66.
   https://www.reasonablefaith.org/media/debates/is-there-historical-evidence-for-the-resurrection-of-jesus-the-craig-ehrman/
   67.
   https://www3.nd.edu/~jspeaks/courses/2007-8/20229/_HANDOUTS/personal-identity-teletransport-split-brain.pdf
   68. https://bigthink.com/hard-science/dyson-spheres/
   69. https://www.icr.org/article/entropy-resurrection/
   70. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_revival
   71.
   https://www.premierhealth.com/your-health/articles/healthnow/reviving-a-dead-brain-really-
   72.
   https://www.cryonicsarchive.org/library/problems-associated-with-cryonics/
   73.
   https://www.kcl.ac.uk/archive/news/lsm/newsrecords/2016/nov/cryonics-and-the-brain-professor-clive-coen-outlines-the-risks
   74. https://www.tomorrow.bio/post/pros-cons-cryonics
   75. https://academic.oup.com/book/12645/chapter/162592929
   76.
   https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/personal-identity-resurrection-survive/
   77.
   https://business.uoregon.edu/sites/default/files/media/Rekindling%20the%20Flame_AMJ.pdf
   78.
   https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1468-0025.1986.tb00122.x
   79. https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/ResurrectionoftheDead

------------------------------
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/attachments/20250506/9b946115/attachment-0001.htm>