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This 2005 edition (ISBN 0-9743472-4-8 in the Cultural Classics
Series by Ria University Press) contains an exact replica copy of
the complete first edition of Robert C. W. Ettinger's 1972 cultural
classic, MAN INTO SUPERMAN. Additional (2005) materials include
three paper contributions: (1) "A Short History of Transhumanist
Thought" (By Nick Bostrom, Ph.D.); (2) "A Brief History of Modern
Transhumanism" (By R. Michael Perry, Ph.D.); and, (3) "My Dog Is A
Very Good Dog -- Or -- The Unprecedented Urgency Of New Research
Priorities To Dismantle Doomsday And Cultivate Transhumanity" (By
Charles Tandy, Ph.D.). >>> In the 1960s Ettinger founded
the cryonics (cryonic hibernation) movement and authored THE
PROSPECT OF IMMORTALITY. In the 1970s Ettinger helped initiate the
transhumanist revolution with his MAN INTO SUPERMAN. Ettinger sees
"discontinuity in history, with mortality and humanity on one side
-- on the other immortality and transhumanity." >>>
Cryonic hibernation (experimental long-term suspended animation) of
humans may provide a "door into summer" unlike any season
previously known. Such patients (individuals and families in
cryonic hibernation) may yet experience the transhuman condition.
Ettinger argues for his belief in "the possibility of limitless
life for our generation." We should become aware of the incorrect,
distorted, and oversimplified ideas presented in the popular media
about cryonics and transhumanism. Ettinger believes that the cool
logic and scientific evidence he presents should lead us to forget
the horror movies and urban legends and embrace great expectations.
>>> An abstract of Dr. Bostrom's paper follows:
Transhumanism in Western history (partial listing oftopics): Our
ambivalent quest to transcend natural limits; Rational humanism as
a root of transhumanism; Ben Franklin as favoring suspended
animation; Darwin and possibility that most evolution remains in
future; Frankenstein (1818) and science fiction; Racism and
totalitarianism in the 20th century; Julian Huxley (1927) uses term
"transhumanism"; Artificial Intelligence; The Singularity;
Molecular Nanotechnology; Uploading of Minds; Robert Ettinger
(1964) advocates experimental long-term suspended animation now
(cryonics and the likelihood of transmortality and transhumanity);
F. M. Esfandiary and UpWingers; Max More and the Extropy Institute;
Nick Bostrom and the World Transhumanist Association; James Hughes
and the new 21st century politics of biotechnology. >>> An
abstract of Dr. Perry's paper follows: In 1964, Ettinger advocated
freezing the newly deceased for possible future reanimation. But
the transhumanist camp that emerged is not limited to cryonicists.
Transhumanist thought includes (to cite only a few): Alan
Harrington (1969) THE IMMORTALIST (Scientific conquest of death);
F. M. Esfandiary (1970) OPTIMISM ONE (UpWing, instead of
Left-Middle-Right, philosophy); Eric Drexler (1986) ENGINES OF
CREATION (Molecular nanotechnology); Damien Broderick (1997) THE
SPIKE (During the 21st century we will become a new family of
life-forms); According to Frank Tipler (1994) THE PHYSICS OF
IMMORTALITY and R. Michael Perry (2000) FOREVER FOR ALL, the more
distant future may include scientific resurrection of all the dead.
>>> An abstract of Dr. Tandy's paper follows: Particular
cultural traditions have informed each civilization's felt
educational needs to become "us" or "human" (instead ofbarbarian)
or to become "educated" or "transhuman" (instead of merely human).
The twentieth century surprised many of us with its world wars and
doomsday weapons (WMDs). If we survive all doomsday dangers over
the next few years and decades and centuries, then our future as
humans or transhumans may be longer -- much longer -- than the mere
10,000 years of past civilizational existence. Our pasts are short
and almost non-existent compared to the potential reality of a very
long future. This paper explores the educational implications of
such a complex reality.
ABOUT THE DEATH AND ANTI-DEATH SERIES: The Death And Anti-Death
Series By Ria University Press discusses issues and controversies
related to death, life extension, and anti-death. A variety of
differing points of view are presented and argued. The following
volumes in the series have been published:
_________________________________________________ Death And
Anti-Death, Volume 1: One Hundred Years After N. F. Fedorov
(1829-1903) (Edited By Charles Tandy, Ph.D.) -- ISBN 0-9743472-0-5
is available from most bookstores -- The anthology discusses a
number of interdisciplinary cultural, psychological, metaphysical,
and moral issues and controversies related to death, life
extension, and anti-death. This first volume in the series is in
honor of the 19th century Russian philosopher N. F. Fedorov. (Some
of the contributions are about Fedorov; most are not.) Each of the
17 chapters includes a selected or short bibliography. The
anthology also contains an Introduction and an Index -- as well as
an Abstracts section that serves as an extended table of contents.
A variety of differing points of view are presented and argued.
Most of the 400-plus pages consists of contributions unique to this
volume. Although of interest to the general reader, the anthology
functions well as a textbook for university courses in culture
studies, death-related controversies, ethics, futuristics,
humanities, interdisciplinary studies, life extension issues,
metaphysics, and psychology.
_________________________________________________ Death And
Anti-Death, Volume 2: Two Hundred Years After Kant, Fifty Years
After Turing (Edited By Charles Tandy, Ph.D.) -- ISBN 0-9743472-2-1
is available from most bookstores -- Thefollowing contributions are
original to this volume of the Death And Anti-Death Series By Ria
University Press: > Is The Universe Immortal?: Is Cosmic
Evolution Never-Ending? (By Charles Tandy) > Death As Metaphor
(By Lawrence Kimmel) > Fantasies Of Immortality (By Werner J.
Wagner) > What Will The Immortals Eat? (By George M. Young) >
Cultural Death Understanding (By Anthony S. Dawber) > Death And
Immortality: Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas And Descartes On The Soul
(By Carol O'Brien) > Against The Immortality Of The Soul (By
Matt McCormick) > Why Death Is (Probably) Bad For You: A Common
Sense Approach (By R.C.W. Ettinger) > Resurrecting Kant's
Postulate Of Immortality (By Scott R. Stroud) > Immortality and
Finitude: Kant's Moral Argument Reconsidered (By Douglas Burnham)
> Death, Harm, And The Deprivation Theory (By Jack Li) > To
Be Or Not To Be: The Zombie In The Computer (By R.C.W. Ettinger)
> The Future Of Human Evolution (By Nick Bostrom) >
Earthlings Get Off Your Ass Now!: Becoming Person, Learning
Community (By Charles Tandy) ABOUT THE EDITOR: Dr. Charles Tandy
received his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Education from the University
of Missouri at Columbia (USA) before becoming a Visiting Scholar in
the Philosophy Department at Stanford University (USA). Presently
Dr. Tandy is Associate Professor of Humanities, and Director of the
Center for Interdisciplinary Philosophic Studies, at Fooyin
University (Taiwan). Dr. Tandy is author or editor of numerous
publications, including The Philosophy Of Robert Ettinger (2002);
and, Death And Anti-Death, Volume 1 (2003). For more information,
see .
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