[extropy-chat] Questions About Real People

[Robert J. Bradbury]

Kristen,

> I am writing a college term paper on transhumanism.  I have been reading
> various articles, primarily those written by Dr. Max More, but would like to
> get some more real life exposure to the real people. ...

Well my hat is off to you and your interest...  Sorry that there are not
any conferences at this time but I will attempt to fill in some of the blanks
from my limited perspective.

> 1.	What first attracted you to transhumanism?

I do not consider myself to be "first" a transhumanist.  I consider
myself first to be an extropian.  Transhumanism is perhaps one probable
extropic vector that may support extropian perspectives.

My attraction to "extropic" perspectives ranges from my attraction
to high school sports (gymnastics) -- to do something better than
I had ever done -- to my desire to participate in an olympic event
(what are the limits of my body or bodies in general?) to the desire
to create (something that had never before existed).

This involves a subtle distinction between extropianism and
transhumanism.  With transhumanism (I am using my own basic
definitions here and people may obviously disagree) one simply
wants to evolve beyond the current human state or condition.
(Nothing wrong with that -- but it lacks values IMO.)
With extropianism one is clearly stating greater complexity
has more value.  I am not sure if that is a "best" rule but
it is one that I think worthwhile for civilizations to explore.
(In some respects it involves the managing of the transition
of random evolution of complexity to a directed evolution of
complexity.)

One could obviously take "transhumanism" in many directions
(e.g. the greatest amount of pleasure in the shortest amount
of time, the greatest expression of creativity with respect
to "pinkness" (people are pink, cars are pink, houses are pink, etc.)
One problem I view with transhumanism vs. extropian perspectives
is that there do not seem to be well established ground rules.
There could be transhumanist vectors that might well be unextropic.
It might be good to explore these so we can understand them
in greater detail.

> 2.	To you, what is transhumanism’s most important principle?

The most important principle of transhumanism is that we have been
and will continue to evolve.  We have however reached an important
state in that we *may* define the environment(s) into which we
are evolving ourselves.  Thus we are creating ourselves as well
as the environment in which we live.  It has been very difficult
for humans before this time to see that.

> 3.	Do you identify with a specific branch of transhumanism?  Which?

I am extropic.  I believe in complexification.  I believe that in
general that complexity may provide solutions that are not otherwise
available.  However I also believe in elegant complexity.  The
statue of David is an example of such.  So one can seek complexity
while at the same time seeking simplicity.  When I look at something
I may ask "Is that the greatest amount of complexity that can be
supported with the minimal solution?"  If so then it is really really
cool.

> 4.	Whose writings on transhumanism, or related principles and topics, have
> most greatly influenced you?

Actually few.  While I admire the writings of many people (and they
are listed in my Readings page) most of my thoughts with respect to
transhumanism and extropianism have evolved based on independent
thought.

> 5.	Do you have a religious affiliation?  If yes, which religion and how
> strongly do you adhere to it?  If no, were you formerly?  If you were
> formerly religious, what caused you to change?

I am currently agnostic.  I was raised Catholic.  It became obvious to
me during my teenage years that the religion was based on premises
that could not be supported on a scientific (rational) basis.

I am currently of the opinion that many of the "miracles" that are
supposed to have been documented in the bible could perhaps be
accomplished by an alien species with nanotechnology.  So the
situations may not have been fiction but may have effectively
been rigged.  (In which case the entire "documented" history
of humanity is likely to be part of some experiment.)

> 6.	What sort of impact does transhumanism have on your daily life?  Your
> life in general?

What else can one do?  Even if the entire thing is a simulation (as Bostrom and
Freitas have speculated) then there is little to do but get up in the morning
and attempt to move things forward.  It seems pointless to move things
backwards (humanity has been there, done that).

So the only dynamic seems to involve the people who want to keep things
static (be they so-called bioethicists or greens) vs. those who accept
that things must evolve and move forward and who seek to produce the
most out of such processes.

(Good questions...)

Robert