Cosmic Transhumanism

Cosmic Transhumanism

Let us now come to my own favorite brands of transhumanism. One is what I call “Cosmic Transhumanism”.

I have started using the label “Cosmic Transhumanism” to indicate a very broad and not precisely defined brand of transhumanism inspired by (among others) Ray Kurzweil‘s radical optimism, the cosmic visions of Frank Tipler and James Gardner, Sir Arthur C. Clarke‘s “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”, and Shakespeare’s “there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”.

I am persuaded that Cosmic Transhumanism as proposed by Kurzweil and Gardner, the idea that consciousness and intelligent life may become key factors in the future evolution of the physical universe (transcending biology, filling the universe, steering spacetime topology, spawning baby universes, “becoming gods” etc.), once developed and communicated as a strong memetic package, can provide an alternative to religion suitable for the forthcoming phase of our evolution as a species. The main point of my proposal is an explicit acknowledgment that the current scientific thinking, and some reasonable extrapolations from today’s engineering, *may* provide *some degree of* hope, grounded in technology and sciences, in some of the promises of traditional religions. Without, of course, the irrational faith, rigid dogmatism and intolerance that have plagued traditional religions.

In the past I have been using the term “Soft Tiplerianism” to indicate a general, high level, conceptual appreciation of some ideas proposed by Fedorov, Teilhard, Tipler, Kurzweil, Perry and Clarke, without any specific proposal for their actual implementation.

In The Physics of Immortality, Frank J. Tipler proposed a high level concept:

Future technology may be able to resurrect the dead of past ages by some kind of “copying them to the future”

He also proposed a specific resurrection mechanism based on:

Intelligent beings of a far future epoch close to the gravitational collapse of the universe (the so called Big Crunch) may develop the capability to steer the collapse along a specific mode (Taub collapse) with unlimited subjective time, energy, and computational power available to them before reaching the final singularity. Having done so, they may wish to restore to consciousness all sentient beings of the past, perhaps through a “brute force” computational emulation of the past history of the universe. So after death we may wake up in a simulated environment with many of the features assigned to the afterlife world by the major religions. (from my Interview with Frank J. Tipler of November 2002).

Actually I liked David Deutsch‘s account of Tipler’s vision (described in his popular book The Fabric of Reality) more than Tipler’s own account. While I found some parts of The Physics of Immortality *very* interesting, I was not impressed with the overall conceptual clarity and felt that he was stretching some interesting analogies far too much.

Tipler’s mechanism for resurrection is often criticized on the basis of its cosmological assumptions, that are not supported by current observations. Even if this is the case (that is, even if the Universe “left to itself” would not spontaneously evolve an Omega Point ´like cosmology), Tipler thinks that we may be able to do something about it: “the expansion of life to engulf the universe is exactly what is required to cancel the positive cosmological constant” (reference above). This “fix what you don’t like” is, in my opinion, a very transhumanist attitude and is supported by Ray Kurzweil‘s last sentence in The Age of Spiritual Machines: “So will the Universe end in a big crunch, or in an infinite expansion of dead stars, or in some other manner? In my view, the primary issue is not the mass of the Universe, or the possible existence of antigravity, or of Einstein’s so-called cosmological constant. Rather, the fate of the Universe is a decision yet to be made, one which we will intelligently consider when the time is right”.

We should not take nature (lower case n intended) as an absolute that cannot be modified or as something “superior” that must be revered, but rather as a plastic material that can be shaped and modified once we develop the capability to do so. Which is, in my opinion, what transhumanism is all about. Past generations were used to considering human biology, with all its comic or tragic accidents such as body fat, unchosen gender, stupidity, aging and mortality, as an absolute. We are beginning to see that, after all, our bodies and minds are just machines that can be fixed, improved and redesigned by engineering once we develop the needed knowledge and tools. I am just proposing to apply the same concept to cosmology and the fabric of reality, that’s all (!). Of course. I do not have the faintest idea of whether, when and how megascale cosmic engineering may be an actual possibility. But I do not think we know enough of the detailed machinery of reality to rule out this vision, and find some pleasure and motivation in allowing myself to contemplate it.

It is worth noting that also Tipler’s predecessor in using the term “Omega Point”, Pierre Teilhard de Cardin, has been often criticized (even by Tipler himself!) for not getting some scientific facts right. But this is really like dismissing Leonardo as a crank because his aircraft sketches wouldn’t fly, which is just stupid. Leonardo was a genius who got the *concepts* right, and later engineers equipped with more detailed knowledge have realized his visions.

While I find speculations on megascale cosmological engineering in the very far future interesting, I don’t think we can take too seriously any current speculations on the capabilities and motivations of persons (in an extended meaning of “person” of course) millions of years more advanced than ourselves. So, I am quite agnostic on the specific resurrection mechanism proposed by Tipler. I also think that, perhaps, we may find some better ways to resurrect the dead much before the end of the universe, regardless of a Big Crunch that may or may not take place, like the fictional example in Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter’s novel The Light of Other Days. In Clarke-Baxter “theory” micro wormholes naturally embedded with huge density in the fabric of spacetime permit looking back in time and downloading a copy of a person’s mind, that can then be “uploaded to the future”. Many other thinkers and writers, including Nikolai Fedorov and Mike Perry, have dared contemplating resurrection. See also the website of the Society for Universal Immortalism.

While I cannot claim any knowledge of future “super technologies”, I do relate deeply to Tipler’s high level concept that future technology may be able to resurrect the dead of past ages by some kind of “copying them to the future"and, in the spirit of “There are more things in Heaven and Earth...”, allow myself to contemplate such possibilities. There may be a point where consciousness becomes a important factor in the destiny of the universe, where conscious beings develop the capability to choose and build the universe they *want* to inhabit, and invite the dead of past ages to join the party by copying them to the future. I am using “Soft Tiplerianism” to indicate this soft rationalist, high level and not detailed concept that will, I hope, be detailed and realized by future scientists and engineers.

Since these are very long term visions, I do not put them in the realistic/programmatic world. What I do put in the realistic/programmatic world, in a “think big, act small” sense, is taking the first small steps toward the advancement of our species on this cosmic path, while at the same time trying to ensure our immediate survival. The future can be magic and beautiful, and we want to be there to see it happen. One of the first small steps that should be taken, in my opinion, is making transhumanism more appealing to more people in a more immediate way. Therefore, I am proposing to include “Soft Tiplerianism”, as defined here as “Future technology may be able to resurrect the dead of past ages by some kind of copying them to the future”, in the transhumanist memetic package. I am persuaded that this could facilitate outreaching beyond the original transhuamanist subculture(s), give many more people hope and a sparkling vision of a better future, and motivate them to roll up their sleeves and try to contribute to realizing such vision.

I am *only* arguing for the hypothetical feasibility, in principle, of these concepts, and my argument is based on the fact that they do not contradict the laws of physics as they are presently understood. I never said, do not want to say, and do not think that these possibility are “absolutely certain” or “guaranteed”, just that they are a possible outcome of the development of our species. So I am not at all certain that our descendants will be able to, or be willing to, upload me to the future, but the simple possibility of this option is good enough (for me) as a replacement of religion. The main point of my proposal is an explicit acknowledgment that the current scientific thinking, and some reasonable extrapolations from today’s engineering, *may* provide *some degree of* hope, grounded in technology and sciences, in some of the promises of traditional religions. Without, of course, the irrational faith, rigid dogmatism and intolerance that have plagued traditional religions.

I think Tipler’s (and others’, e.g. Fedorov and Perry) resurrection idea: Future technology may be able to resurrect the dead of past ages by some kind of “copying them to the future”, makes perfect sense and leave it to future engineers to find a way to implement it, but most hard rationalists find it outrageous. Perhaps because they had to make a big effort to free themselves from the old religious superstition, and are afraid of falling back into irrational belief. But technology-enabled resurrection is not irrational belief: it is a wild speculation, in the sense of Shakespeare’s and Clarke’s quotes above, on possibilities that may, or may not, be achieved at some point by science and technology. I have found that, while people converted from religious believers to rationalist believers immediately dismiss technology-enabled resurrection as unscientific, those who never cared too much about religion are basically open to considering it.

Universal Immortalism (resurrection of the dead by means of future technology) is not explicitly affirmed by Cosmic Transhumanism but is not incompatible with it: Kurzweil and Gardner would probably say “let’s wait and see”.

However, even leaving the resurrection part aside, Cosmic Transhumanism makes perfect sense as a worldview. Thinking to be part of one of many intelligent species that will spread to the stars and beyond, leave biological and mental constraints behind, and participate in the cosmic destiny of a universe waking up to life and superhuman sentience, gives a certain nice feeling and a certain sense of wonder, permits seeing clearly one’s place in the universe, and provides a drive to try giving a small contribution to the cosmic adventure. Whitout, of course, forgetting the practical reality of today’s world.

Manifest Destiny was a phrase that expressed the belief that the United States was destined to expand from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean. Advocates of Manifest Destiny believed that expansion was not only good, but that it was obvious ("manifest") and certain ("destiny"). Manifest Destiny was always a general notion rather than a specific policy. The term combined a belief in expansionism with other popular ideas of the era, including American exceptionalism, Romantic nationalism, and a belief in the natural superiority of what was then called the “Anglo-Saxon race”. While many writers focus primarily upon American expansionism when discussing Manifest Destiny, others see in the term a broader expression of a belief in America’s “mission” in the world, which has meant different things to different people over the years.

Three key themes were usually touched upon by advocates of Manifest Destiny: 1. the virtue of the American people and their institutions; 2. the mission to spread these institutions, thereby redeeming and remaking the world in the image of the U.S.; and 3. the destiny under God to accomplish this work. The origin of the first theme, later known as American Exceptionalism, was often traced to America’s Puritan heritage, particularly John Winthrop’s famous “City upon a Hill” sermon of 1630, in which he called for the establishment of a virtuous community that would be a shining example to the Old World. In his influential 1776 pamphlet Common Sense, Thomas Paine echoed this notion, arguing that the American Revolution provided an opportunity to create a new, better society: We have it in our power to begin the world over again. A situation, similar to the present, hath not happened since the days of Noah until now. The birthday of a new world is at hand....

One may not always like everything about America, but there is no doubt that American culture has achieved a lot. Their gut belief in their Manifest Destiny, their own goodness, the superiority of their way of life, their mission to bring democracy to the world, and that their God is always on their side, has provided them with a single minded drive to overcome all obstacles on their way and conquer one frontier after another.

In President Kennedy’s words: “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too”. A few years later, watching the first men walking on the moon, it was easy to believe in humanity’s Manifest Destiny in space.

Too bad space “did not happen”. It will happen someday I hope, but reading the news it is evident that today’s world is a complex, interconnected and difficult place on its way to becoming even more so. It is evident that no part of humanity can march toward its destiny leaving other parts behind. Kennedy’s Moon speech was intended to energize citizens with a 20th century grand vision of Americans’ destiny in space but, as it is now evident, a single nation is not going to make it.  We can only move onward as a whole, or else.

Where is a grand vision for the Manifest Destiny of all humanity, that can energize all persons on the planet and provide the drive to move onward as a whole? I think Cosmic Transhumanism could be the answer. It will not lead to holy wars against infidels, but rather to a Holy War against the limitations of being humans 1.0: disease, mortality, stupidity, unhappiness, lack of empathy and understanding, and being confined on our little planet. This is the first paragraph of the Transhumanist Declaration: ”Humanity will be radically changed by technology in the future. We foresee the feasibility of redesigning the human condition, including such parameters as the inevitability of aging, limitations on human and artificial intellects, unchosen psychology, suffering, and our confinement to the planet earth”.

We must find new and better ways to communicate this beautiful vision to everyone. We have often failed to do so in the past: transhumanists are often far too aseptic, over-intellectual and out of touch with “the people” to communicate effectively. We should not forget that we are *still* biological beings, and rationality without emotions is often not enough to provide motivation and drive -we also need some chemical and hormonal fire in our blood. This is the challenge ahead: formulating transhumanism as a strong belief that can energize people with emotional fire, without giving up our roots in rationalism and scientific thinking. Besides scholarly works we need more novels, movies, series. We also need good communicators able to explain transhumanism in everyday language and generate a positive emotional response.

Religion has been, and is, important for Americans. This is sometimes difficult to understand for most of us us Europeans, used to considering religion as something largely irrelevant and with no place in public life. But religion was an important part of the Manifest Destiny meme, and still is a powerful factor in American policies.

Religion is certainly a powerful enabler for memetic engineering. When criticizing the extremes of religion, and there are many very sad examples in history, it is important to bear in mind that religion has also fueled many worth initiatives and provided peace of mind to countless believers. The key question if how to keep the good things of religion (sense of community, happiness, and a hopeful vision of our place and purpose in the universe) without the bad things (bigotry, fundamentalism, intolerance, holy wars, burning heretics and infidels). Here again I think transhumanism, and especially its “cosmic” face aimed at achieving superhumanity and spreading to the stars and beyond, may provide a modern, energizing but tolerant alternative to religion rooted in the scientific worldview. 

Posted by G.P. on 12/01 at 07:48 AM
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