[extropy-chat] Transhumanism: 2000 Years in the Making

Dirk Bruere dirk at neopax.com
Sat Jan 8 00:46:41 UTC 2005


Max More wrote:

> Comparing transhumanism to gnosticism is nothing new. I've seen and 
> heard it many times, most notably in Erik Davis' book, "Techgnosis".
>
> The attempt to force transhumanism (in all its flavors) into the shape 
> of gnosticism can only be damaging. This essay follows the usual line 
> of saying that we "despise" the physical body. I'm sure *some* of us 
> do, but for most of us, that attitude does not follow from a desire to 
> improve on the amazing start made by nature. (When you edit your first 
> draft of a piece of writing or coding, does that imply that you 
> *despise* your initial attempt?) The body is not and cannot be 
> "degenerate", since it hasn't degenerated from a imaginary state of 
> initial perfection.
>
I'll play Devils Advocate here...
In most, if not all people I would suggest the body *is* degenerate in 
that each of us is not the best that a Human can be simply because of 
genetic imperfections.

> Transhumanism really has none of the fundamentalism dualism of 
> gnosticism. There is no equivalent of "the Fall." Nor do we claim 
> access to a special way of knowing (we just read and think more than 
> most people!).
>
The dualism is hardware/software.
As for the Fall, consider the Simulation Argument and possible implications.
Or alternatively, we are awaiting the moment of the Fall, or 
Transcendence, in the Singularity (although that's more akin to 
Armageddon theologically).

> The author's suggestion that we enlightened transhumans-to-be (the 
> "chosen few") will lead the rest into the future or leave them "to 
> wallow", is an absurdly prejudicial characterization. The same might 
> be said of *anyone* who tries to encourage others to adopt better ways 
> of doing things, as they see it.
>
Such as Gnostics?

-- 
Dirk

The Consensus:-
The political party for the new millenium
http://www.theconsensus.org



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