Difference between revisions of "Atheism and transhumanism"
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*[http://www.johnpiippo.com/2014/04/one-of-atheisms-irresolvable-problems.html Consciousness: One of Atheism's Irresolvable Problems] by John Piippo, 4/14/2014</ref> | *[http://www.johnpiippo.com/2014/04/one-of-atheisms-irresolvable-problems.html Consciousness: One of Atheism's Irresolvable Problems] by John Piippo, 4/14/2014</ref> | ||
| − | === Mind uploading and cryonics are | + | === Mind uploading and cryonics are unfeasible === |
''See also:'' [[Atheism and cryonics]] | ''See also:'' [[Atheism and cryonics]] | ||
Revision as of 05:10, October 13, 2014
The pseudoscientific transhumanism movement which desires to transcend being human through technology and become posthuman in order achieve immortality has its roots in an atheistic/secular humanism worldview.[2] [3] The atheist, evolutionist and eugenicist Julian Huxley coined the term transhumanism.[4]
Julian Huxley wrote:
| “ | The human species can, if it wishes, transcend itself – not just sporadically, an individual here in one way, an individual there in another way – but in its entirety, as humanity. We need a name for this new belief. Perhaps transhumanism will serve: man remaining man, but transcending himself, by realizing new possibilities of and for his human nature.[5] | ” |
The atheist worldview cannot explain the existence of consciousness
See: Atheism and irrationality
The atheist worldview cannot explain the existence of consciousness either and the theistic worldview can offer a reasonable explanation.[6]
Mind uploading and cryonics are unfeasible
See also: Atheism and cryonics
Advocates of mind uploading (Mind uploading is the notion that someday mankind may be able to scan and upload their minds to computer storage mediums) are generally strong advocates of cryonics as well.[7] Mind uploading is not a feasible hypothesis.[8] See also: Atheism and cryonics
Endeavoring to upload the human brain and achieve a technological singularity
(photo obtained from Wikimedia Commons, see license agreement)
An article entitled The 25 Most Influential Living Atheists describes the the atheist Ray Kurzweil thusly:
| “ | Ray Kurzweil sees technology as fulfilling all aspirations previously ascribed to religion, including immortality. He argues that computing machines will soon outstrip human cognitive capacities, at which point humanity will upload itself onto a new, indestructible digital medium (an atheist version/vision of “resurrection”).[10] | ” |
The article Top 10 atheist inconsistencies declares:
| “ | Some atheists like Ray Kurzweil advocate transhumanist doctrines that prophesy of a near future - in as few as 20 years, according to him - in which a singularity event will occur. With the singularity event, humans will be able to use science to achieve immortality. Kurzweil speaks of this singularity event with the same fervor in which the proverbial Southern Baptist minister raves about the Rapture. Fantasizing about post-singularity humanity, Kurzweil proclaims that, being able to live for eternity, we will eventually be able to know everything that can possibly be known.
But does he believe it's possible that there just might be another being in this vast universe who has achieved all knowledge before he has? No, that is ludicrous.[11] |
” |
As noted above, for number of reasons, the idea of uploading the human brain is entirely unrealistic.[12] S
See also
Notes
- ↑ A HISTORY OF TRANSHUMANIST THOUGHT, Nick Bostrom, Faculty of Philosophy, Oxford University
- ↑ A HISTORY OF TRANSHUMANIST THOUGHT, Nick Bostrom, Faculty of Philosophy, Oxford University
- ↑
- Against Naive Uploadism: Memory, Consciousness, and Synaptic Homeostasis, Seth Weisberg, H+ Magazine, May 6, 2011
- Why Transhumanism Won't Work, The New Atlantis, June 10, 2010
- Will we ever be able to upload our minds to a computer?
- You Might Never Upload Your Brain Into a Computer by George Dvorsky posted at 4/17/13 12:02pm at io9.com
- What's the Likelihood of the Singularity? Part Two: Uploading the Brain by Alex Knapp, Forbes, 6/24/2011
- ↑ A HISTORY OF TRANSHUMANIST THOUGHT, Nick Bostrom, Faculty of Philosophy, Oxford University
- ↑ A HISTORY OF TRANSHUMANIST THOUGHT, Nick Bostrom, Faculty of Philosophy, Oxford University
- ↑ The Argument from Consciousness for the Existence of God by John Piippo, 3/20/2012
- Consciousness: One of Atheism's Irresolvable Problems by John Piippo, 4/14/2014
- ↑ Mind uploading - Thought experiments as knowledge
- ↑
- Against Naive Uploadism: Memory, Consciousness, and Synaptic Homeostasis, Seth Weisberg, H+ Magazine, May 6, 2011
- Why Transhumanism Won't Work, The New Atlantis, June 10, 2010
- Will we ever be able to upload our minds to a computer?
- You Might Never Upload Your Brain Into a Computer by George Dvorsky posted at 4/17/13 12:02pm at io9.com
- What's the Likelihood of the Singularity? Part Two: Uploading the Brain by Alex Knapp, Forbes, 6/24/2011
- ↑ The 25 Most Influential Living Atheists
- ↑ The 25 Most Influential Living Atheists
- ↑ [http://grayknight.hubpages.com/hub/Top-10-Atheist-Inconsistencies Top 10 atheist inconsistencies
- ↑
- Against Naive Uploadism: Memory, Consciousness, and Synaptic Homeostasis, Seth Weisberg, H+ Magazine, May 6, 2011
- Why Transhumanism Won't Work, The New Atlantis, June 10, 2010
- Will we ever be able to upload our minds to a computer?
- You Might Never Upload Your Brain Into a Computer by George Dvorsky posted at 4/17/13 12:02pm at io9.com
- What's the Likelihood of the Singularity? Part Two: Uploading the Brain by Alex Knapp, Forbes, 6/24/2011