[ExI] FM-2030 (was Re: transhumanist as a philosophy)

Tom Nowell nebathenemi at yahoo.co.uk
Sun Jun 20 15:38:47 UTC 2010


Natasha wrote in response to Damien: 'FM was not a philosopher and did not write about "transhumanism."  He was not interested in a "movement".'

Please excuse any facetiousness in my reply, but the title of FM-2030s book "Upwingers: a Futurist's Manifesto" may indicate otherwise - why entitle your book a "manifesto" unless it is a call-to-arms for a movement? Manifestos usually come in three forms - 
1) a political party setting out its policy ideas (the everyday sense) 
2) a philosophical text outlining a political philosophy, aiming to inspire a political movement (as with Karl Marx's "A Communist Manifesto")
3) an artistic statement defining the principles of a movement (such as the Italian Futurist's manifesto, or the Dogme school of film-making, or even the Turku manifesto of live role-playing)

People tend not to use the word "manifesto" in a book title unless they are interested in a movement. 

Natasha, would you say FM-2030 was using the word "manifesto" more in the philosophical or artistic sense of the word?

Tom




      




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