> Robert Owen
I agree that
>most philosophies of life have social or cultural implications.
but that
>it does not seem to me that the practice of Extropianism
---or transhumanism in general---
>depends on the vagaries of public opinion or sentiment, or on the
>prevailing political climate.
That of course does not mean that positive action should not be taken.
But it also does not mean that all means are equal. Perhaps an
important thing to do now with regard to unity of purpose, strength in
community, and coordination of knowledge is basic organization and
scholarship.
Transhumanists are now in communication via a few mailing lists and
Web sites. There are indeed informal or formal factions, divisions,
and simply levels of interest, seriousness, and awareness within
transhumanism. Not everyone is happy with the Extropian Principles or
the Singularitarian Principles or the e-Future Principles or the
Colonel Zing-Zang Principles. But I would like the debates,
discussions, references, information on individuals and organizations
publicly involved, et cetera could be readily accessible to everyone
(including, of course, the mysterious general public).
Hence the FAQs, the _Journal of Transhumanism_, _the Transhumanist_,
the new, I see, _Transhumanist Times_, the proposal for a Singularity
Institute, the various organizations and societies, and several
informative personal Web sites. I don't want to suggest a centralized
network but I would like to see a certain coherence binding these
efforts and others together. Call me old-fashioned but a scientific
community is not and should not be a political one in the usual sense, in the
way that typical "politics" is conducted.
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