Re: Transhumanism

An appreciative response to the provocative video "Transhumanism" and to 2bsirius' very helpful response to it. Valuable her reference to fantasy literature in discussions of this & other scientific hypotheses. Literature can lead us freely in the directions of consequences that may or may not be desirable. Legitimate, then, is a reference to the taboo hypothesis of transhuman beings visiting us humans, either from other planets or from other dimensions of space, time, or even eternity. Many human individuals are convinced, from their own undebatable and non-negotiable experience, that such transhuman entities have visited them and perhaps even taught them (e.g. prophets & mystics, not only subjects of alien abductions!). Humans often do communicate with cows, more often yet with dogs & cats, non-human entities that usually draw out the best of our humanity (whereas fellow humans sometimes draw out the worst...).

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• transhumanism
• extraterrestrial
• alien
• abduction
• cows
• dogs
• cats
• devas
• ahuras
• prophets
• mystics

[LooksAeterna]

Funny, whenever you say you might ruffle some feathers or so, I find nothing to object to. My objection usually concern that which you think might be easily accepted =:)

[Israe5l]

All this talk seem a bit vague. Lets begin by defining human as One. I think this is the most certain knowledge we have. (However, if we can connect brains together that may change.) (also communication may change things.)

[neothomist1275]

"access to knowledge and unfettered communication as never before imagined"

Means...ends.

[thomasmatus]

Perhaps we have something today that Vico couldn't foresee: a networking of humanity grounded on science, but not on the "scientism" that was the object of C.S. Lewis' polemic. With Lewis' best-known student - Bede Griffiths - I agree that rulers have attempted to use science to ends of power, with disastrous effects, but since Englebart's demo of the one-person computer+mouse, 40 yrs ago today, "man" has gained access to knowledge and unfettered communication as never before imagined.

[leroysky96]

I look forward to the day when our merging will be accepted by all humanity .I want to drive my vehicle while I'm watching u tube in my head and letting my M.E. chip answer all my calls .Imagine all the people...........

[neothomist1275]

I agree.

Giambattista Vico wrote that civilised societies pass through three stages: the Heroic Age, the Aristocratic Age and the Democratic Age; the last squanders the civilisational "substance" and ends in despotism.

Ruling power is hoping to use science to bypass this cycle.

[advancedatheist]

Quite a statement for a man who grew up in a society with an aristocratic ruling class topped off by a monarch. Humans naturally form dominance hierarchies without any help from scientific planning, and only about one man in 20 displays leadership ability. In every society we know of which has both agriculture and metallurgy, you get a ruling class supported by a warrior class.

[neothomist1275]

Man's conquest of Nature, if the dreams of some scientific planners are realized, means the rule of a few hundreds of men over billions upon billions of men. There neither is nor can be any simple increase of power on Man's side. Each new power won by man is a power over man as well. — CS Lewis, "The Abolition of Man"

[Renaissancedehuaxia]

To sum it up, existence isn't static. Existence remains unknown. To know is the only thing we know about existence. This quest to know depends on Facts and not Relationships.

[Renaissancedehuaxia]

In the end, it all comes back to the basic fact of human nature. In this process, we go through it to lose all other accidents and to see what else remains of human nature in the end. All I have discussed above: cultural peculiarities, the animal kingdom, etc... are all accidents. While the essential remains hidden and unknown, waiting to be added as the final line to the great book of Aristotle.