Natasja Burger - 25210298
The humanists believe in reason, science and technology and are opposed to any religious doctrines. In line with this view, the musician Ben Harper once said that the only reason people believe in a God is because we know that we are going to die. People are perhaps striving towards immortality because we do not want to serve a God anymore. If we are immortal, we do not have to abide to any rules in order to get into a Nirvana or Heaven. People want to kill God and become the gods of this world.
If immortality were to become a reality, only the rich would be able to afford this technology. Only the rich will live on. Would this then be the new aristocracy? The rich would be able to live their happy and prosperous lives for eternity, without the poor bringing them down. They would be able to create their own Heaven on earth. The problem is that people will always strive to be better than somebody else. Without this strive to be better, there would be no progress and things would only stand still or even move backwards.
Naturally the human body will disintegrate as some point. This would mean that the human brain would have to be put into some kind of cyborg or robot. The brain and the body are accounted for, but what about the soul? Is the soul connected to the brain? Like Bob Dylan said, all the money you made could never buy back your soul. Ever get that feeling that you are the only ‘real’ person on earth and everybody around you is a robot?
Yes, this strive towards immortality in South Africa would be a luxury. It would be the elitist utopia. There would be no poverty and no diseases. It would be affordable, because there would only be a few people left in the country. But why would you want to stay in this hell we call earth, when there can be so much more waiting for us on the other side. The heaven created on earth by humans would always just be a superficial one. In the end everything must die, not just humans, but even technology.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Posthumanism in South Africa
Nadia Levinson 25280971
“Certainly, we can attain much while remaining human. Yet we can attain higher peaks only by applying our intelligence, determination, and optimism to break out of the human chrysalis.” This quote is from Max More’s On becoming Posthuman. The posthuman enterprise attempts to find a ‘solution’ to the longing for immortality as expressed by humanity from the earliest times. Transhumanists and Extropianists suggest that technology can bring the human race within reach of this eternal life. According to posthumanists, acquiring the relevant information will lead to the achievement of immortality.
True enough, technology has certainly made it possible to alter/enhance/prolong one’s body or life by, for example, incorporating technology into ourselves such as pacemakers. I do feel however that the idea that death should (and will according to posthumanists) become obsolete is not only wishful thinking, but also a symptom of a fear of death.
South Africa (and indeed the world) is plagued by diseases, incurable and horrible. Naturally the idea of being free of the threat of disease or the encumbering body in old age is appealing in a country where AIDS, tuberculosis and cholera (to name only a few) are serious and growing dangers. Unfortunately though, the majority of South Africans dealing with these diseases are the poor and uneducated/illiterate. I thus consider it useless to consider technologically induced immortality as a solution to these problems due to the fact that technology is expensive. Technological advances, especially ones that imply such radical shifts in daily life as, for example immortality would, will involve huge amounts of money – money that the majority of the disease stricken don’t have. A technology that promises immortality would thus only be perpetuating the divide between the haves and have not’s, relegating the post-human strive for immortality to the ‘luxury goods’ aisle of the bio-tech supermarket.
Terrible diseases afflict South Africa and of course we should strive to find solutions to these problems but surely immortality is not the answer? Even if this is to become possible (the issue of its evident elitist nature has already been mentioned), would eternal life not contradict a fundamental characteristic of being human? The process of growing up, becoming an adult, al the while learning and growing old is part of our human status. Would we really want to exchange out humanity, our very being, to become post-human; to ‘cheat death’ with our money and so-called intelligence? Perhaps this entire enterprise is merely trying to ‘get back at God for making us suffer so horribly…’
“Certainly, we can attain much while remaining human. Yet we can attain higher peaks only by applying our intelligence, determination, and optimism to break out of the human chrysalis.” This quote is from Max More’s On becoming Posthuman. The posthuman enterprise attempts to find a ‘solution’ to the longing for immortality as expressed by humanity from the earliest times. Transhumanists and Extropianists suggest that technology can bring the human race within reach of this eternal life. According to posthumanists, acquiring the relevant information will lead to the achievement of immortality.
True enough, technology has certainly made it possible to alter/enhance/prolong one’s body or life by, for example, incorporating technology into ourselves such as pacemakers. I do feel however that the idea that death should (and will according to posthumanists) become obsolete is not only wishful thinking, but also a symptom of a fear of death.
South Africa (and indeed the world) is plagued by diseases, incurable and horrible. Naturally the idea of being free of the threat of disease or the encumbering body in old age is appealing in a country where AIDS, tuberculosis and cholera (to name only a few) are serious and growing dangers. Unfortunately though, the majority of South Africans dealing with these diseases are the poor and uneducated/illiterate. I thus consider it useless to consider technologically induced immortality as a solution to these problems due to the fact that technology is expensive. Technological advances, especially ones that imply such radical shifts in daily life as, for example immortality would, will involve huge amounts of money – money that the majority of the disease stricken don’t have. A technology that promises immortality would thus only be perpetuating the divide between the haves and have not’s, relegating the post-human strive for immortality to the ‘luxury goods’ aisle of the bio-tech supermarket.
Terrible diseases afflict South Africa and of course we should strive to find solutions to these problems but surely immortality is not the answer? Even if this is to become possible (the issue of its evident elitist nature has already been mentioned), would eternal life not contradict a fundamental characteristic of being human? The process of growing up, becoming an adult, al the while learning and growing old is part of our human status. Would we really want to exchange out humanity, our very being, to become post-human; to ‘cheat death’ with our money and so-called intelligence? Perhaps this entire enterprise is merely trying to ‘get back at God for making us suffer so horribly…’
Iwona Marczak
25067011
In South Africa our everyday lives consists of the realities of serious diseases such as cholera, malaria and AIDS. However, the population rate in South Africa is still growing at a rapid rate. In fact, populations all over the world seem to be growing bigger and bigger. The subject of immortality has been asked since the beginning of time and so it seems that it is almost natural for humans to try and find the one thing that will make them live forever. Humans are afraid of the unknown and the inexplicable, such as death. Immortality may be a reality or there may come a time that immortality will come close to our fingertips in another form. In history, people would seek immortality through potions and magic and now it seems that technology has become the modern day potion. With South Africa in mind, the subject of immortality would be controversial on a number of levels. Here in South Africa, our internet dial-up connections aren’t even close to the standards of broadband width in America and so if there were to be a breakthrough in something like cryonics and it worked, it would take decades before the technology could even be considered to be brought into the country. Then the questions remains, who would pay for this kind of technology? Would it be something that started out exclusively (such as the iPod) but so many people bought into it that the prices would drop and everyone would be able to live forever? I have no doubt that there would be hordes of people trying to save themselves from death. Whilst we might become the most technologically advanced African country by buying into this immortality factor, it seems that people have forgotten that we have to first break certain barriers, such as whether people in this country (with all our different cultures) would want to live forever. And our population count and disease count would either sky-rocket again or it would completely diminish. If people could be cured easily from serious illness and live forever, perhaps diseases would take on new and frightening evolutionary twists. And perhaps, if we live in a country full healthy and immortal people, they will see an opportunity to do whatever they want and gain power over others because there is nothing that can stop them.
25067011
In South Africa our everyday lives consists of the realities of serious diseases such as cholera, malaria and AIDS. However, the population rate in South Africa is still growing at a rapid rate. In fact, populations all over the world seem to be growing bigger and bigger. The subject of immortality has been asked since the beginning of time and so it seems that it is almost natural for humans to try and find the one thing that will make them live forever. Humans are afraid of the unknown and the inexplicable, such as death. Immortality may be a reality or there may come a time that immortality will come close to our fingertips in another form. In history, people would seek immortality through potions and magic and now it seems that technology has become the modern day potion. With South Africa in mind, the subject of immortality would be controversial on a number of levels. Here in South Africa, our internet dial-up connections aren’t even close to the standards of broadband width in America and so if there were to be a breakthrough in something like cryonics and it worked, it would take decades before the technology could even be considered to be brought into the country. Then the questions remains, who would pay for this kind of technology? Would it be something that started out exclusively (such as the iPod) but so many people bought into it that the prices would drop and everyone would be able to live forever? I have no doubt that there would be hordes of people trying to save themselves from death. Whilst we might become the most technologically advanced African country by buying into this immortality factor, it seems that people have forgotten that we have to first break certain barriers, such as whether people in this country (with all our different cultures) would want to live forever. And our population count and disease count would either sky-rocket again or it would completely diminish. If people could be cured easily from serious illness and live forever, perhaps diseases would take on new and frightening evolutionary twists. And perhaps, if we live in a country full healthy and immortal people, they will see an opportunity to do whatever they want and gain power over others because there is nothing that can stop them.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Posthumanism
Post-Human
Marisa de Franca
25062957
In the 21st century, humans are being displaced as the central form of life by intellectual machines. The human body can be seen as a metaphor, a physical structure. The body has constraints and endless possibilities that throughout history has revolutionised that machines do not share. In the contemporary world humans are now able to enter into symbiotic relationships with machines, but there is a difference in the way in which humans articulate with machines.
The world has increasingly become unconcerned with health issues, and many people (even in South Africa); with money will be able to delay the effects of diseases and unhealthy eating. This has arrived as new cultural configuration. This has also become a process of transformation, due to assumptions that are encoded in pattern and or randomness and popular culture. Pattern over presence attains a type of immortality; people are not being regarded as informational patterns. Many people associate modern living with the influence of “superstars” and “trendsetters”, because media (one type of medium) has brainwashed us into believing what is in fashion. This transformation (Post-human) soon loses the basic importance of human life such as religion because presence is aligned with God.
Post-human sounds very similar to antihuman, because it envisions a certain kind of conception that has ended such as: choice, leisure, health and wealth. Many people prefer to use “machines”, that will be able to make choices for them and that are able to do their tasks for them. Technology has become far more infiltrating in our lives then what it was before. People rely on technology to be able to live longer too.
Post-humanity is becoming the fusion between man and machine, real and artificial. This line is becoming very thin in terms of cloning, simulated emotions, communications and with identities.
One should be careful the way the post-human is presented. Post-human can be presented as something to be feared due to its building and its understanding. One should also take notice how technology is influencing our social and economic environments.
Marisa de Franca
25062957
In the 21st century, humans are being displaced as the central form of life by intellectual machines. The human body can be seen as a metaphor, a physical structure. The body has constraints and endless possibilities that throughout history has revolutionised that machines do not share. In the contemporary world humans are now able to enter into symbiotic relationships with machines, but there is a difference in the way in which humans articulate with machines.
The world has increasingly become unconcerned with health issues, and many people (even in South Africa); with money will be able to delay the effects of diseases and unhealthy eating. This has arrived as new cultural configuration. This has also become a process of transformation, due to assumptions that are encoded in pattern and or randomness and popular culture. Pattern over presence attains a type of immortality; people are not being regarded as informational patterns. Many people associate modern living with the influence of “superstars” and “trendsetters”, because media (one type of medium) has brainwashed us into believing what is in fashion. This transformation (Post-human) soon loses the basic importance of human life such as religion because presence is aligned with God.
Post-human sounds very similar to antihuman, because it envisions a certain kind of conception that has ended such as: choice, leisure, health and wealth. Many people prefer to use “machines”, that will be able to make choices for them and that are able to do their tasks for them. Technology has become far more infiltrating in our lives then what it was before. People rely on technology to be able to live longer too.
Post-humanity is becoming the fusion between man and machine, real and artificial. This line is becoming very thin in terms of cloning, simulated emotions, communications and with identities.
One should be careful the way the post-human is presented. Post-human can be presented as something to be feared due to its building and its understanding. One should also take notice how technology is influencing our social and economic environments.
Blog Activity 2
I think technology will definitely eventually come to a point where we cannot make the distinction between what is human and what is not. I mean we already see people with artificial intelligence in their bodies, pace makers, electrodes in the brain etc. Whether we are there already is a question yet to be answered. I don't feel the question of immortality is a relevant one yet especially in South Africa. People are still dying of aids in first world countries. The technology is at this point still in the realm of science fiction not science fact, whether or not it will become fact can be debated.
I also feel the debate around post humanity is an irrelevant one in South Africa. Weather we like it or not we are a third world country and probably 10 to 15 years behind the USA and Europe. At the moment immortality in the South African context is only possible in old Highlander movies. Never the less even though the debate is probably not very relevant at the moment it does not make it any less important. The way technology is progressing it it totally possible that in the next 50 years immortality could be possible in some way in first world countries. At that point it would be important to consider the implication in the South African context. At the moment though i feel, even though the technology is available in the world, South Africa is not a post human society. Most people live Conservative lives. For example there are not many people in Africa going for plastic surgery. In America the culture has become as described in the class notes, people can now change themselves completely if they want, botox, Rhinoplasty, Liposuction the list goes on. This point is further supported by the fact that most people in South Africa and other third world countries go to America for reconstructive surgery.
What i do think is important is the influence TV has in educating us on new technologies available. So even though that specific technology is not available to us to use first hand, we do take part from a distance. In response to the blog question which asks whether we can afford to to have Immortality technology, i think its a difficult and taboo issue because death is a natural cycle, so even though some people might be dying from AIDS or TB, the question that must be asked is not, damn could we of saved him? but, was it his time to go? The concept of immortality ultimately goes against the laws of nature, everything must die eventually, and i feel if we enter that realm we will be playing God and have really entered the realm of post humanism.
Jean Pierre Neethling
25052731
I also feel the debate around post humanity is an irrelevant one in South Africa. Weather we like it or not we are a third world country and probably 10 to 15 years behind the USA and Europe. At the moment immortality in the South African context is only possible in old Highlander movies. Never the less even though the debate is probably not very relevant at the moment it does not make it any less important. The way technology is progressing it it totally possible that in the next 50 years immortality could be possible in some way in first world countries. At that point it would be important to consider the implication in the South African context. At the moment though i feel, even though the technology is available in the world, South Africa is not a post human society. Most people live Conservative lives. For example there are not many people in Africa going for plastic surgery. In America the culture has become as described in the class notes, people can now change themselves completely if they want, botox, Rhinoplasty, Liposuction the list goes on. This point is further supported by the fact that most people in South Africa and other third world countries go to America for reconstructive surgery.
What i do think is important is the influence TV has in educating us on new technologies available. So even though that specific technology is not available to us to use first hand, we do take part from a distance. In response to the blog question which asks whether we can afford to to have Immortality technology, i think its a difficult and taboo issue because death is a natural cycle, so even though some people might be dying from AIDS or TB, the question that must be asked is not, damn could we of saved him? but, was it his time to go? The concept of immortality ultimately goes against the laws of nature, everything must die eventually, and i feel if we enter that realm we will be playing God and have really entered the realm of post humanism.
Jean Pierre Neethling
25052731
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Samantha Duddy 25078772 Immortality
Now-a-days, people are confronted with images of perfection or everlasting beauty (immortality). With the help of technology people are able to live longer and “healthier” lives.
People are influenced by ‘superstars’ or trendsetters with their technology … not all of these images are a realistic representation … but that is what people see and what they want to imitate.
People use technology, such as computers, surgery, pills, etc to live longer, thereby becoming immortal.
The world as a whole has become unhealthy – food, pollution, etc …. People with money (wealthy South Africans) have the luxury to delay the effects of today’s diseases and unhealthy living. Therefore, one could say that they have money and power to delay death, whereas people who are poor or less fortunate … have to rely on handouts and sometimes don’t have money or facilities to prevent or better themselves.
Timothy Leary says, “Death is merely a lack of information,” which means that if people do not have access to the information or technology, they will then die. The poorer people in South Africa would therefore not be able to access this information. Therefore one could say that the people who cannot afford these luxuries of these innovations, they will then become known as prehistoric. If the people who are able to afford these innovations become immortal, the people who don’t – will die off.
Past humanity can be said to be the fusion of technology and humanity, artificial and real; while this line is becoming ever more – thinner, in terms of cloning, medication, identity, communication and simulated emotions.
A foundation in which many people have based their lives and beliefs is their religion. In contemporary society people are disregarding their foundations … they are thereby going against the Bible, as it says, … that your body is a temple of God … and that you love it the way it is.
Patterns are favored over presence. Patterns in terms of endurance, thereby attains a kind of immortality. Physical forms can be reconstitutes – people are now being regarded as informational patterns, therefore, being immune to corruption/disease/viruses.
In terms of relating the above to a South African context, one could say that most of South Africa is not technologically and economically developed. There are many poor people who do not have access to these facilities. Therefore, this ‘immortal’ life can be seen as a luxury to many South Africans. With all of the hardships and diseases in South Africa, no one can afford to be excluded. Why should some people suffer while others do not? Life is a luxury in itself and everyone should be able to live it healthily.
People are influenced by ‘superstars’ or trendsetters with their technology … not all of these images are a realistic representation … but that is what people see and what they want to imitate.
People use technology, such as computers, surgery, pills, etc to live longer, thereby becoming immortal.
The world as a whole has become unhealthy – food, pollution, etc …. People with money (wealthy South Africans) have the luxury to delay the effects of today’s diseases and unhealthy living. Therefore, one could say that they have money and power to delay death, whereas people who are poor or less fortunate … have to rely on handouts and sometimes don’t have money or facilities to prevent or better themselves.
Timothy Leary says, “Death is merely a lack of information,” which means that if people do not have access to the information or technology, they will then die. The poorer people in South Africa would therefore not be able to access this information. Therefore one could say that the people who cannot afford these luxuries of these innovations, they will then become known as prehistoric. If the people who are able to afford these innovations become immortal, the people who don’t – will die off.
Past humanity can be said to be the fusion of technology and humanity, artificial and real; while this line is becoming ever more – thinner, in terms of cloning, medication, identity, communication and simulated emotions.
A foundation in which many people have based their lives and beliefs is their religion. In contemporary society people are disregarding their foundations … they are thereby going against the Bible, as it says, … that your body is a temple of God … and that you love it the way it is.
Patterns are favored over presence. Patterns in terms of endurance, thereby attains a kind of immortality. Physical forms can be reconstitutes – people are now being regarded as informational patterns, therefore, being immune to corruption/disease/viruses.
In terms of relating the above to a South African context, one could say that most of South Africa is not technologically and economically developed. There are many poor people who do not have access to these facilities. Therefore, this ‘immortal’ life can be seen as a luxury to many South Africans. With all of the hardships and diseases in South Africa, no one can afford to be excluded. Why should some people suffer while others do not? Life is a luxury in itself and everyone should be able to live it healthily.
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