Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 18:23:53 +0100 From: "steve.devos-AT-krokodile.co.uk" <steve.devos-AT-krokodile.co.uk> Subject: Re: it gives me hope It is true I believe that Natasha is a west-coast american - but the posthumanism she represents is a G20 wide problem a descendent of the worse kinds of reactionary avantgardism - when I forwarded the original link I do not think I implied that the issue is an parochial 'american' one. However reading your notes Shawn is very interesting as it's an unfamiliar discourse - few Europeans would find the idea of perfectionism easy to accept... Is there a connection between 'perfectionism' and 'libetarianism' ? (I have more faith in communism than human voluntaism and co-operation.... as I'd assume we need enforced and legislative limits to human activity...) steve swilbur-AT-wcnet.org wrote: >One way to think of the More's version of extropian >transhumanism is in the context of perfectionism in >America. There's a very old, very complex tradition >in the US, that includes everything from Oneida to >Topolobampo to Twin Oaks to transhumanism. Whether >the perfectionist philosophy has been christian, >fourierist, skinnerian or transhuman, American >perfectionism usually manifests itself in a rich >blend of radical and reactionary elements. Oneida >was one of the first homes of both wings of the >eugenics movement - radical marriage reform as well >as selective breeding (or "stirpiculture.") I'm not >certain to what degree "apocalypse" is really the >issue, since a fairly characteristic move among >perfectionists is to deemphasize last things and >end times, in order to get on with the business of >living in a possible paradise in this world. Unlike, >say, survivalism, there is something disarmed, and >hence disarming, about perfectionists. They can, of >course, be badly wrong about present possibilities, >and complicit with the worst elements of their times >as a result. However, in an age where cynicism about >the power of humans to even begin to address the >crises we face seems almost complete, perhaps these >odd believers *should* give us some small amount of >hope. > >And, Eric, i have a lot more faith in cooperation in >all aspects of society and economy than i do in >communism. > >-shawn > > > >--------------------------------------------- >This message was sent using Endymion MailMan. >http://www.endymion.com/products/mailman/ > > > >
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