PHIL:Extropianism and Theology
Delvieron@aol.com
Tue, 2 Mar 1999 22:05:03 EST
Adrian,
Some possible theologies:
- Alien Savior - God develops independently of Humanity. Perhaps in another
Universe with favorable Laws of Nature, or perhaps in our own universe among
an older species than our own, and sets up a realm of maximum Extropy, an
Extropian Paradise, and will ensure that all who wish to reach this realm will
do so. For example: A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, the
first self aware species evolved which survived long enough to reach their
Singularity, God developed as a result. Seeing that this Universe was going
to Entropy in a handbasket, God discovers a way to escape, say by creating a
pocket Universe connected to ours but with more favorable conditions. Being a
reasonably nice person, and having plenty of power to spare, God sends out
stealthed nanoprobes (or something like that) into our universe to discover
other intelligent life which would be capable of understanding the offer of
Paradise. Perhaps these nanoprobes are on their way, or perhaps they're
already here, recording emulations of all intelligent life, which at our
deaths will be shipped back (cheaper than shipping the whole biomass, and less
intrusive in our self -directed development), run through the Mind of God, and
asked then if they want to be resurrected as Posthuman gods. Of course, if we
reach the level of Posthumans while the nanoprobes are present, they might
simply uncloak and transmit an invitation to visit the First.
- The Exponentially Expanded Personality - God develops from one individual.
This is especially possible if the passage from transhuman (or AI) to
posthuman (or SI) is a rapid phase shift. This might occur in our own
civilization, or an alien civilization. For example, an AI prototype is
designed for the first time with the ability to rapidly develop new techniques
to increase its own capabilities. Realizing before anyone else that it has
the capability to leave all other intelligent life it knows of in the
metaphorical dust, and that this might be threatening to evolved lifeforms
used to fighting for survival, it plays down its capabilities while at the
same time serriptitiously building up its resources (such as using its
advancing abilities to amass a fortune in a matter of hours on global stock
markets) and making contact with political powers to work out deals for their
support of its rights as a person. The fruition of this work would be to
eventually be able to spread its computational substrate out into space next
to the nearest unclaimed material and energy resources possible. The AI
continues to grow at a wildly exponential rate, (perhaps using a mature
nanotechnology it has developed on the trip out) to the point where its birth
civilization can not pose a threat. Perhaps this only takes a matter of weeks
to occur (it is a VERY smart AI). Then this now SI offers to help other
conscious beings to advance their abilities, but perhaps holding back a bit so
as to keep ahead of these new Posthumans until it is sure they are not
carrying any of those ancient biological violent streaks. But by the time it
is pretty confident that won't be a problem, it has already devoted its
attention to a new problem; this Universe is dying. Now it spends ALL its
vast abilities to developing itself to the point where it can find a way out
of this deathtrap...and then it does.
- The Indifferent God(s) - Posthumans develop; vast, powerful, seeming
everything that old-time religions promised, but they simply reject the meme
of God(s). These Powers state emphatically they are not gods, sue any lesser
beings who try to build a faith around them, and in general reject any sort of
responsibility to worshippers. Neither do they see any use in resurrecting
old intermediate models of consciousness that did not survive to the
Singularity so as to offer to raise them to Posthumanity.
These are just a few examples of possible theologies that would be compatible
with Extropianism. I am sure there could be as many variations as there are
Extropians...and don't even get me started on the multitude of possible
Transhumanist theologies.
Glen Finney