Natasha Vita-More, a pioneering transhumanist, reflects on the evolution of transhumanism over the decades, highlighting key advances and disappointments. She shares her hopes for the future of the movement, emphasizing the importance of ethical technological use and the integration of transhumanist concepts into society for human enhancement.
Natasha Vita-More highlights the significance of organizing the Vital Progress Summit and establishing the Proactionary Principle in response to the Beyond Therapy report in 2004.
Transhumanism aims to evolve humanity through technology, shifting towards a more critical and visionary approach to address biases and enhance species' progress.
Natasha addresses societal resistance towards transhumanism, emphasizing the challenge of mainstream acceptance amidst historical objections to advancements like artificial intelligence and super longevity.
Deep dives
Natasha's Contributions to Transhumanism
Natasha Vitamore, a pioneering transhumanist, reflects on significant contributions to the global transhumanist movement. She discusses organizing the Vital Progress Summit in response to the Beyond Therapy report in 2004, which led to the establishment of the Proactionary Principle. Additionally, Natasha highlights her role in editing 'Transhumanism and its Critics' in 2011, responding to misrepresentations of transhumanism in academia.
Transhumanism Defined by Natasha
Natasha defines transhumanism as the evolutionary enhancement of humanity through technology and science, aiming to overcome limitations. She emphasizes the shift from traditional ideologies to a more critical and visionary sensibility to address human biases and survival instincts. Natasha views transhumanism as a means to foster a more humane and forward-thinking species.
Perceptions and Challenges of Transhumanism
Natasha addresses societal objections to transhumanism, citing historical resistance to advancements like artificial intelligence and super longevity. She contrasts the pessimistic view of traditional norms with the optimistic potential of transhumanism, acknowledging that mainstream acceptance remains a challenge due to deep-rooted biases.
Future of Transhumanism and Humanity+
Looking ahead, Natasha outlines the future initiatives of Humanity+ in educating and expanding awareness of transhumanism. She mentions projects like the H+ Academy, Transvision Summits, and Transhumanist Studies to promote discourse and knowledge-sharing. Natasha emphasizes the organization's focus on global outreach, particularly in Africa, to debunk stereotypes and foster inclusivity in discussing longevity and technology.
Conclusion and Outlook
In conclusion, Natasha Vitamore's journey exemplifies a commitment to advancing transhumanist principles amidst societal norms and gender biases. Her efforts to educate and challenge restrictive mindsets reflect a dedication to shaping a more inclusive and forward-thinking future. The discussion underscores the ongoing evolution of transhumanism towards fostering critical thinking and overcoming societal prejudices.
It is nearly 40 years since our guest in this episode, pioneering transhumanist Natasha Vita-More, created the first version of the Transhumanist Manifesto. Since that time, Natasha has established numerous core perspectives, values, and actions in the global transhumanist family.
Natasha joins us in this episode to share her observations on how transhumanism has evolved over the decades, and to reflect on her work in building the movement—from practice-based approaches, scientific contributions, and theoretical innovations.
Areas we explore include: How has Natasha's work seeded the global growth of transhumanism? What are the main advances over the years that she particularly values? And what are the disappointments?
We also look to the future: What are her hopes and expectations for the next ten years of transhumanism?
Music: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration
Selected follow-up reading:
https://natashavita-more.com/ https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2004/02/vital-progress-summit/ http://www.extropy.org/proactionaryprinciple.htm https://metanexus.net/transhumanism-and-its-critics/ https://whatistranshumanism.org/ https://www.alcor.org/library/persistence-of-long-term-memory-in-vitrified-and-revived-simple-animals/ https://waitbutwhy.com/2016/03/cryonics.html F. M. Esfandiary: https://archives.nypl.org/mss/4846 https://www.maxmore.com/ The World’s Most Dangerous Idea? https://nickbostrom.com/papers/dangerous https://theconversation.com/the-end-of-history-francis-fukuyamas-controversial-idea-explained-193225 https://www.humanityplus.org/ https://transhumanist-studies.teachable.com/ Anyone Can Code, Ethiopia: https://icogacc.com/ https://afrolongevity.taffds.org/