Monday, 12 August 1996
Post No. 1 of 8
by Max More

Humanity will not be the zenith of nature's development. Extropians seek to transcend human limits through reason, technology, and cultural change. Extropians, as transhumanists, seek to become posthuman. Posthumans will enjoy indefinite longevity, possess vastly augmented intellectual powers, enjoy the ability to choose their bodily form, and will shape themselves psychologically and emotionally.

Extropians seek to increase "extropy." Extropy means extending freedom - psychologically, physically, and socially - through processes that give us longer and more vital lives, that make us more intelligent, emotionally healthy, and effective. This implies becoming posthuman. Technologies enabling posthumanity include genetic engineering, neuroscience, computer science and robotics, neural-computer integration, molecular nanotechnology, gerontology, space technology, and cognitive psychology. But becoming posthuman also requires the will and wisdom to use these technologies to transform human nature for the better. Rational philosophy, ethics, psychology, and art are needed to challenge old myths and philosophies that tell us to merely settle for our lot in life.

Extropians delight in human capacities - our bodies, our intellects, our emotions - but we are not smug. We find life so full of possibility that we wish to extend the human reach to encompass more. We stand at the threshold of the next stage of evolution. We will co-evolve with the products of our minds, integrating with them, finally merging with our intelligent technology in a posthuman synthesis, amplifying our abilities and expanding our freedom.

Why seek to become posthuman? Why not suppress the Promethean urge and accept our limits? For the same reason we did not content ourselves with living in mud huts, with slavery, with rampant disease and brutality. The core of humanity, of life in general, is the drive to overcome itself, to become more than it is. The most natural and healthy thing for us is to strive to become better, more capable, wiser, stronger. Becoming posthuman calls on our best qualities: rationality, cooperation, courage, curiosity, creativity, benevolence, ambition.

The conquest of biological aging and involuntary death is the most worthy quest of our time. Let us throw away merely human rationalizations. Death is not good, it does not give meaning to life. Death destroys us just as we begin to mature. Besides abolishing biological aging and death, becoming posthuman involves maintaining our forward momentum. It's either that or stagnate and retreat.

Becoming posthuman may not be everyone's choice. Extropians, being strong individualists, only want posthumanity to be an option. You can remain within human limits if you choose. The extropic among us will continue to progress without end.

Becoming posthuman is a grand venture, a goal worthy of a dynamic, intelligent species. As Freeman Dyson wrote: "Humanity looks to me like a magnificent beginning but not the final word."

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