Re: LIMITATIONS OF TRANSHUMANISM - SENTIST

From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Sun Aug 23 1998 - 12:17:01 MDT


Interesting.

The main difference between the sentist view as Avatar Polymorph puts
it and the basic transhumanist view appears to be epistemic:
transhumanism is deep down empirical, and even if some transhumanists
may accept other forms of knowledge as valid insights everything in
the end needs to be grounded in shared objective reality. Sentists,
and some other transhumanism-like groups, appear to be basically
mystical: knowledge about the future can be achieved through
non-rational insight.

Avatar Polymorph <way@warehouse.net> writes:

> Transhumanists can expect to fragment along societal lines - to a degree
> - even Extropians will find the same process at work. Diversity can be
> embraced - it's a hoot.

I would be surprised if there didn't appear many different
transhumanist views and movements, not necessarily compatible. But at
the same time it is interesting to look at the similarities, and the
problem of how to coperate with groups with incompatible
philosophies/worldviews without violating one's own outlook.

> Perhaps Transhumanists should link their sites to the Church of Bob? I'd
> vote for it.

Not the best way of gaining the credibility transhumanism needs if it
is going to be useful. But definitely a methadone for religious opium :-)

-- 
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Anders Sandberg                                      Towards Ascension!
asa@nada.kth.se                            http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/
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