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July 2, 2011 04:32 am PDT

Transhumanism and heretical Russian Orthodox Christianity

Charlie Stross has found one of the most distant ancestors of transhumanism and Singularity-style thinking, a heretical 19th century Russian orthodox teacher called Nikolai Fyodorov (or Federov). Federov believed in a teleological explanation for evolution, that mankind was on the path to perfectibility: and that human mortality was the biggest sign of our imperfection. He argued that the struggle against death would give all humanity a common enemy -- and a victory condition that could be established, in the shape of (a) achieving immortality for all, and (b) resurrecting the dead to share in that immortality. Quite obviously immortality and resurrection for all would lead to an overcrowded world, so Federov also advocated colonisation of the oceans and space: indeed, part of the holy mission would inevitably be to bring life (and immortal human life at that) to the entire cosmos... So. Transhumanism: rationalist progressive secular theory, or bizarre off-shoot of Russian Orthodox Christianity? And should this affect our evaluation of its validity? You decide! Federov's Rapture (Image: Pasternak_fedorov.jpg, Wikimedia Commons/public domain)...


Original Link: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/RWhahtOC68o/transhumanism-and-he.html

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