LISTSERV - TOK-SOCIETY-L Archives

Woo hooo.

I've always been an Extropian, Futurist, Omega Point Theoretician,
Singularitarian, Rapture of the Nerdian, Kurzweilian, transhumanist....
 So now I guess I'm also a Posthumanist... fun.  When people ask me my
religious preference, I say I'm a Mormon Transhumanist Atheist.  Back in
the 90's you really felt like a weirdo, everywhere.  It sure is nice to see
this becoming a more prominent view in popular culture.

What I can't understand, is people that think we need to die, or that death
gives meaning to life.  That view seems so irrational to me, it makes me
think people with that view just must have a bunch of broken neurons, or
something.  There is a survey topic on this over at Canonizer.com:

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__staging.canonizer.com_topic_67-2DDeath-2DGives-2DMeaning-2D_1&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=z8Osxj_I5A6PQ8KH3gxa90LIenVp69mXPXfKq62UUrE&s=e1xbEDX2Plz_g7izBYfPMbcKPuZAfEKfx56Pk2_xYDM&e=

As you can see, there are almost as many deathists as there are people that
desire to live forever.  I'd sure love to hear what all of you think on
such issues.  The deathists never seem to think about this too much, or
never provide any good arguments.  None of the supporters of the deathist
camp have provided a statement describing why they believe what they
believe.

There are likely some people that think death gives mining to life, so I
apologize for being so negative or judgmental of that view.  I sure wish
someone could help me understand some of the reasoning arround why anyone
would think this.  Maybe someone could provide something that could be used
for a statement for the death gives meaning to life camp, to help me out?

Oh, and I have another request.  I'm on multiple e-mail lists, and all of
them, but this one, include an indicator in the subject line that indicates
the e-mail came from that list.  For example the extropian list I'm on
always includes [ExI] in the subject line.  It'd be really nice to have
something like [TOK] in all the subject lines.  I'd beet it could easily be
configured in the list server being used?

Brent








On Fri, Jan 4, 2019 at 8:01 AM Mark Stahlman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> ToKers:
>
> As many of you know, the "hot topic" today in many places (particularly
> "philosophical" ones) is called Posthumanism.  It is active at NYU and I
> have participated in some of their events.  I was supposed to be included
> in the NY group's involvement in the XXIVth World Congress for Philosophy
> in Beijing this past summer, where there were many sessions on the topic,
> but ran into problems with "permission" for the other meetings I was going
> to have (which then took place in October.)
>
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__wcp2018.pku.edu.cn_yw_index.htm&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=z8Osxj_I5A6PQ8KH3gxa90LIenVp69mXPXfKq62UUrE&s=oiGD9LeyXXO_tAXpPBfGajcL9oA5KkrcFP4sD9KKYRU&e=
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__wcp2018.pku.edu.cn_yw_index.htm&d=DwMBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=KMaR2vfm7NpckSBl2UODzFLGWTr7Jw7fq5C6X3Dt_Tk&s=5y0lcsmQk34WuLS0-GCPiI5FT_xfYp0TC_jHTBoVBt8&e=>
>
> It is the view of the Center that there are now globally Three Spheres:
> East, West and Digital and that the Digital Sphere has "posthumanity" as
> its goal.  This is related (but not identical) to the older "transhumanism."
>
> This announcement appeared this AM on the NYU group's Facebook page, so I
> pass it along for discussion here --
>
>
> Stefan Lorenz Sorgner
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.facebook.com_stefan.sorgner-3Ffref-3Dgs-26-5F-5Ftn-5F-5F-3D-252CdlC-2DR-2DR-26eid-3DARD677M0Ca-2DsOPJyFnMoMNMfywygRwmHAWXk71OqM54-5FylUiLMUwf2RjCLYg-5FGb9K-5FoLeYFicgH8VBhz-26hc-5Fref-3DARSj8eghSQHLpujo5BPYR3bb-2DurC5Mo95vNuLxH1EmPkcfI-2D4rdWLqr6nYmdloZTOug-26dti-3D1393341940933102-26hc-5Flocation-3Dgroup&d=DwMBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=KMaR2vfm7NpckSBl2UODzFLGWTr7Jw7fq5C6X3Dt_Tk&s=UYXVRDpmKwzzlLSkIIsojfWLmhjDIC4nT-MyasxeuiI&e=> shared
> a link
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.facebook.com_groups_nyposthuman_permalink_2223414994592455_&d=DwMBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=KMaR2vfm7NpckSBl2UODzFLGWTr7Jw7fq5C6X3Dt_Tk&s=0bki-DAzqgvNpYyCuO7--OQIivrj5lhyeOh87ketJIU&e=>
> .
> 51 mins
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.facebook.com_groups_nyposthuman_permalink_2223414994592455_&d=DwMBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=KMaR2vfm7NpckSBl2UODzFLGWTr7Jw7fq5C6X3Dt_Tk&s=0bki-DAzqgvNpYyCuO7--OQIivrj5lhyeOh87ketJIU&e=>
>
> PLEASE SHARE the following information for all scholars of the posthuman:
>
> The oldest publishing house in the world, Schwabe publishing (founded
> 1488), deeply rooted in the humanist tradition, embraces the intellectual
> engagement with one of the most significant debates of our time: Posthuman
> Studies: From Critical Posthumanism to Transhumanism. The series explicitly
> targets the international audience. All books will be peer-reviewed,
> copyedited, and internationally distributed. There are no printing cost
> subsidies. Please submit your manuscipt to Prof. Stefan Lorenz Sorgner, if
> you want it to be considered for this book series: www.sorgner.de
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.sorgner.de_&d=DwMBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=KMaR2vfm7NpckSBl2UODzFLGWTr7Jw7fq5C6X3Dt_Tk&s=9GKRg7uNihpeldqTpl2rNTwk0R2tFmk8DlNC0JTL1YU&e=>
>
> Here you find some more information about this newly launched book series:
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__beyondhumanism.org_&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=z8Osxj_I5A6PQ8KH3gxa90LIenVp69mXPXfKq62UUrE&s=hCmBMp9h0C7ZxQlvCSCGEDPhIQBP-GRo6BBt81VBJlM&e=…/Flyer_Call-for-Manuscripts_Fina…
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__beyondhumanism.org_wp-2Dcontent_uploads_2018_08_Flyer-5FCall-2Dfor-2DManuscripts-5FFinal-5Flow.pdf&d=DwMBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=KMaR2vfm7NpckSBl2UODzFLGWTr7Jw7fq5C6X3Dt_Tk&s=Y00O1Q90n0tTpVb-HYGm6zR4Dad00vKKcQl4vdv6brc&e=>
>
> If you merely wish to publish a paper, please consider submitting it to
> the "Journal of Posthuman Studies" which was launched by Penn State
> University Press in 2017. It is the first academic journal explicitly
> dedicated to the posthuman:
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.psupress.org_Journals_jnls-5FJPHS.html&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=z8Osxj_I5A6PQ8KH3gxa90LIenVp69mXPXfKq62UUrE&s=sk-o6kCXO9yOaKwwxfhDczu-hmwVT9ODMDD6KLBXpHY&e=
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.psupress.org_Journals_jnls-5FJPHS.html&d=DwMBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=KMaR2vfm7NpckSBl2UODzFLGWTr7Jw7fq5C6X3Dt_Tk&s=9rDQ3LhI2g3b5rhCh1ofDZqgqQ7EDwY5VCSoKkTOIdY&e=>
>
> To meet other scholars of the posthuman, the best place to be is the 11th
> Beyond Humanism conference which is dedicated to the following theme in
> 2019: Critical Posthumanism and Transhumanism: The Posthuman Paradigm
> Shift. It will take place from the 9th until the 12th of July 2019 at the
> Catholic University of Lille, France, Faculty of Arts and Humanities,
> ETHICS EA-7446. Here, you find the Call for Papers:
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__beyondhumanism.org_&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=z8Osxj_I5A6PQ8KH3gxa90LIenVp69mXPXfKq62UUrE&s=hCmBMp9h0C7ZxQlvCSCGEDPhIQBP-GRo6BBt81VBJlM&e=
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__beyondhumanism.org_&d=DwMBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=KMaR2vfm7NpckSBl2UODzFLGWTr7Jw7fq5C6X3Dt_Tk&s=IhAIMNjKuJCD1XGxua1-Lu0qs6wiy29o9S3n86U0Bcg&e=>
>
>
>
> Mark
>
> P.S. Yes, it is ironic that PRINT ("the oldest publishing house in the
> world") is getting involved in this.  PRINT was the enemy of SCRIBAL,
> eliminating perhaps 80% of the materials that had been written by scribes,
> ushering in what McLuhan called the "Gutenberg Galaxy."  PRINT was already
> "posthuman" in the sense that it took human communications and mechanized
> it, replacing the human hand in the process.
>
> When PRINT was itself being replaced by the ELECTRIC psycho-technological
> environment in the late-19th century, this led to the invention of the
> Typewriter, a machine that allowed humans to pretend that they were a
> printing press.  I have known people with massive collections of early
> typewriters and, if you are inclined to observe the behaviors involved, I
> recommend the recent movie "California Typewriter" (complete with the logo
> that replaces the human head with a machine) . . . !!
>
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__californiatypewritermovie.com_&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=z8Osxj_I5A6PQ8KH3gxa90LIenVp69mXPXfKq62UUrE&s=B8jxjq_LDCK29kBrtlCkU2Rp1ZXdtE_Cmei8JBRY9cA&e=
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__californiatypewritermovie.com_&d=DwMBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=KMaR2vfm7NpckSBl2UODzFLGWTr7Jw7fq5C6X3Dt_Tk&s=X1FDkBxn74dMM6gvUMFagGHstnqjBzD3ZMmCrVyjdzk&e=>
>
>
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