From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Mon Aug 06 2001 - 18:44:37 MDT
Mark Walker wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <JoshCahoon@cs.com>
>
> > Just out of curiosity, I'm wondering how many on this list feel they came
> up
> > with the idea of the singularity on their own. I feel like I did, and was
> > surprised to find an organization based, in large part, on the concept.
> There is nothing new under the sun (I may not have been the first to say
> this). Transhumanism is a minor variant on an ancient theme. Plato and
> Aristotle said the (1) telos of humanity's best (i.e., philosophers) is to
> become godlike, (2) that we ought to become godlike, and (3) that
> dialectical reasoning is the means for philosophers to realize their telos.
> Unlike Plato and Aristotle (Hegel, etc.) we do not believe that there is a
> little divine element in us that needs to be nurtured. Darwin killed that
> idea forever. So, transhumanists substitute technology (most notably genetic
> engineering and AI) for (3). What separates us from Plato et al is a minor
> quibble about the means to become what we ought to be.
Darwin did no such thing. There is nothing in evolution that
forces such a conclusion. If you believe there is, then please
show it. If we are totally determined by evolution both in our
current state and our potential then all our transhumanist
dreams would be ridiculous. If we are not so determined then
there most certainly does exist a spark of the divine, a spark
of the ability to transcend, within all of us.
- samantha
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