Tuesday 7 September 2010

Transhumanism: transcending biology

But where does libertarianism fit into all this, you ask? First of all, it’s useful to note that transhumanists don’t all fall under a monolithic political philosophy. There are many liberal transhumanists who see the enhancement of the mind and body through technology as the ultimate equalizer that will allow people to improve themselves and transcend their limitations. There are even Christian transhumanists who see the technological singularity as a sort of man-made Rapture that will bring them closer to God (see also here).

But there is also a very vocal sect of transhumanist libertarians who see their future robot bodies as the best chance to escape statist control once and for all.Reason magazine’s Ron Bailey thinks transhumanism is the linchpin that will help libertarians “win the future.” Why? Because once we all become self-healing and self-medicating cyborgs, then “ideas about government health care and government-guaranteed incomes will appear quaint.”

I also tag this post "Patri Friedman" in reference to the seasteader and cyber swinger extraordinaire-- who once flamed me on this blog for criticizing him-- because the Alternet article links to another piece entitled, "The Really Creepy People Behind the Libertarian Inspired Billionaire Sea Castles". The title is self-explanatory, and I concur entirely with how Mark Ames characterizes these members of the Lunar Right. It's disturbing to see how in the time since my post, more people are being drawn to this, "spoilt child's autarky, an imperialism of outsourcing, a very petty fascism" (to quote China Mieville's description in Evil Paradises).

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