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At 02:15 AM 11/1/03 -0500, Eli wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Natasha Vita-More wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite><blockquote type=cite class=cite cite><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Transhumanism is not a religious or
mystical term. Nor is it a political term. It is a term used to express
the ideas about evolution in regards to the biology and psychology of
humans. As such, transhumanism has become a movement based on the
advancement of the human’s lifespan and intellectual and creative
abilities. </blockquote><br>
Eh? Transhumanism expresses a *goal* about the *future* development
of humanity, *post* natural selection. What does transhumanism have
to say about "ideas about evolution in regards to the biology and
psychology of humans"? Such ideas are the domains of the
extensively developed fields of evolutionary biology and evolutionary
psychology! <br>
They are no longer up for
grabs.</blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite><blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Not
so! Evolutionary biologists and evolutionary psychologists are only
part of the package. </blockquote><br>
True, there's also information theory, population genetics, quantitative
genetics, sociobiology, cultural anthropology, etc. etc., but that
doesn't change my point.<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>For someone who is not determined
to engage completely in one particular academic discipline, why rely on
those who do!? No ideas are exclusively the property of any one
particular domain. Ideas are always up for grabs! Such is the idea
of evolution - constantly change constructs.</blockquote><br>
I stand by my point that if we're talking about anything currently real,
as opposed to making statements about what we want for the future, then
there is nothing up for grabs. Actually there is never anything up
for grabs in science; if the evidence is sparse enough that one can make
stuff up without fear of contradiction, it means that one will simply get
things wrong. But in this case there is no fear of that; the
evidence is strong enough to constrain theories. If anyone tries to
make up ideas about evolution in regards to the biology or psychology of
humans, they will instantly find themselves shot down by experts in the
field. </blockquote><br><br>
Why suggest that anyone who is fully versed in their field, such as
Aubrey de Gray, or evolutionary biologist Michael Rose, make up a point
for fiction sake? Further, are you suggesting that transhumanists's ideas
about evolution are, or should be, based in "human"
transitional views that center around a limited lifespan and that pushing
the lifespan father in years is an assault on humanity's acceptance and
even worship of death?<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Transhumanism doesn't need, and
can't have, and shouldn't have, its own model of evolution, any more than
there should be a transhumanist model of physics. </blockquote><br>
I think your argument is misplaced. Transhumanism is based on ideas
about evolution that have been published and promoted for many years and
continue to be published and promoted as the science and technology of
new ideas surmount. These ideas are transhumanist because they, in
their directive intent, are based on questioning traditional acceptance
of a limited lifespan and recycling of the human spirit into a mystical
landscape. If you are suggesting that any transhumanist be foolish
enough to fictionize the facts developed and being investigated,
than this is overly broad. It is in opposition to the basics
of transhumanism to "make up" ideas to justify a cause. I
hardly think any transhumanist would get away with it for more than a few
moment to a few weeks. Our society is very hard lined in attempting
to make sure that information is as plausible as possible, if not sorely
accurate.<br><br>
Natasha<br><br><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<dl>
<dd><font face="Viner Hand ITC" size=4 color="#000080">Natasha
Vita-More</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF">
<dd><a href="http://www.natasha.cc/" eudora="autourl">http://www.natasha.cc</a><hr>
</font>
<dd><font face="Times New Roman, Times">President, Extropy
Institute
<a href="http://www.extropy.org/" eudora="autourl">http://www.extropy.org</a>
<dd>Founder, Transhumanist Arts & Culture
<a href="http://www.transhumanist.biz/" eudora="autourl">http://www.transhumanist.biz</a></font>
<dd><font face="Times New Roman, Times"><a href="http://www.transhuman.org/" eudora="autourl">http://www.transhuman.org</a>
</font>
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