World Transhumanist Association
Encyclopedia
Humanity+ is an international non-governmental organization
which advocates
the ethical
use of emerging technologies
to enhance human capacities
.
and David Pearce
. It began working toward the recognition of transhumanism
as a legitimate subject of scientific inquiry and public policy
.
In contrast to the techno-utopianism of Extropy Institute, WTA officials considered that social forces could undermine their futurist visions and needed to be addressed. A particular concern is the equal access to human enhancement
technologies across classes and borders.
In 2006, William Saletan
of Slate reported a political struggle within the transhumanist movement between the libertarian right
and the liberal left resulting in a more centre-left
ward positioning of Humanity+ under its former executive director James Hughes.
In 1998, the WTA established the Journal of Transhumanism. In 2004, it renamed its journal the Journal of Evolution and Technology
and transferred it to the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies
and launched a webzine/blog called Transhumanity .
The WTA also held an annual conference called TransVision. Past conferences include:
In 2006, the WTA adopted the following programs of activity:
In 2008, as part of a rebranding effort, the WTA changed its name to "Humanity+" in order to project a more humane image.
The objectives of Humanity+ are:
which disseminates transhumanist news and ideas. h+ Magazine is now a website edited by Michael Anissimov featuring news and articles about transhumanist issues and technologies.
Humanity+ has spawned a host of chapters around the world. In total, there are dozens of formed or forming local groups—one on virtually every continent. A dozen transhumanist groups in the United States
, Europe
, South America
and Asia
have also formally affiliated with Humanity+.
Humanity+ also administers the $20,000 Gada Prize, which will be awarded to the team which can design, build and demonstrate a more advanced 3D printer
on the base of RepRap by the end of 2012.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
which advocates
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
the ethical
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
use of emerging technologies
Emerging technologies
In the history of technology, emerging technologies are contemporary advances and innovation in various fields of technology. Various converging technologies have emerged in the technological convergence of different systems evolving towards similar goals...
to enhance human capacities
Human enhancement
Human enhancement refers to any attempt to temporarily or permanently overcome the current limitations of the human body through natural or artificial means...
.
History
In 1998, the World Transhumanist Association (WTA) was founded as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization by Nick BostromNick Bostrom
Nick Bostrom is a Swedish philosopher at the University of Oxford known for his work on existential risk and the anthropic principle. He holds a PhD from the London School of Economics...
and David Pearce
David Pearce (philosopher)
David Pearce is a British utilitarian thinker. He believes and promotes the idea that there exists a strong ethical imperative for humans to work towards the abolition of suffering in all sentient life. His book-length internet manifesto The Hedonistic Imperative details how he believes the...
. It began working toward the recognition of transhumanism
Transhumanism
Transhumanism, often abbreviated as H+ or h+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human...
as a legitimate subject of scientific inquiry and public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
.
In contrast to the techno-utopianism of Extropy Institute, WTA officials considered that social forces could undermine their futurist visions and needed to be addressed. A particular concern is the equal access to human enhancement
Human enhancement
Human enhancement refers to any attempt to temporarily or permanently overcome the current limitations of the human body through natural or artificial means...
technologies across classes and borders.
In 2006, William Saletan
William Saletan
William Saletan is the national correspondent at Slate.com. Saletan gained recognition in the fall of 2004 with nearly daily columns covering the ups and downs of the Presidential race. He currently writes the 'Human Nature' column...
of Slate reported a political struggle within the transhumanist movement between the libertarian right
Right-libertarianism
Right-libertarianism names several related libertarian political philosophies which support capitalism. The term is typically used to differentiate privatist based forms of libertarianism from Left-libertarianism; which generally supports forms of economic democracy and...
and the liberal left resulting in a more centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
ward positioning of Humanity+ under its former executive director James Hughes.
In 1998, the WTA established the Journal of Transhumanism. In 2004, it renamed its journal the Journal of Evolution and Technology
Journal of Evolution and Technology
The Journal of Evolution and Technology is the peer-reviewed, electronic, academic journal of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, which publishes contemporary foresight into long-term developments in science, technology and philosophy....
and transferred it to the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies
Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies
The Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies was founded in 2004 by philosopher Nick Bostrom and bioethicist James Hughes. Incorporated in the United States as a non-profit 501 organization, the IEET is a self-described "technoprogressive think tank" that seeks to contribute to understanding...
and launched a webzine/blog called Transhumanity .
The WTA also held an annual conference called TransVision. Past conferences include:
- TransVision98, June 5–7: WeespWeespWeesp is a town and a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It has a population of 17,533 .Weesp lies next to the rivers de Vecht and Smal Weesp and also next to the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal. It is in an area called the "Vechtstreek"...
, The Netherlands, Europe - TransVision99, June 4–6: StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden, Europe - TransVisionMM, July 15–16: LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, Europe - TransVision01, June 22–24: BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany, Europe - TransVision03, June 27–29: Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, USA, North America - TransVision04, August 6–8: University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, Canada, North America, with nearly 125 participants including Steve MannSteve MannSteven Mann , is a tenured professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto.-Education:...
, Robert K. LoganRobert K. Logan__notoc__Robert K. Logan , originally trained as a physicist, is a media ecologist. He received a BS and PhD from MIT in 1961 and 1965, respectively...
and Robin HansonRobin HansonRobin D. Hanson is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and a research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University. He is known as an expert on idea futures, markets and was involved in the creation of the Foresight Exchange and DARPA's FutureMAP...
. - TransVision05, July 22–24: CaracasCaracasCaracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela, South America - TransVision06, August 17–19: University of HelsinkiUniversity of HelsinkiThe University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
, Finland, Europe, with a simultaneous virtual online conference. The theme of the conference was Emerging Technologies of Human Enhancement. - TransVision07, July 24–26: ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, USA, North America. The theme of the conference was Transforming Humanity: Innerspace to Outerspace.
In 2006, the WTA adopted the following programs of activity:
- Campaign for the Rights of the Person: A campaign to modify national laws and international human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
conventions to establish (a) that bodily autonomyMorphological freedomMorphological freedom refers to a proposed civil right of a person to either maintain or modify his or her own body, on his or her own terms, through informed, consensual recourse to, or refusal of, available therapeutic or enabling medical technology....
, reproductive rightsReproductive rightsReproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights as follows:...
, and cognitive libertyCognitive libertyCognitive liberty is the freedom of sovereign control over one's own consciousness. It is an extension of the concepts of freedom of thought and self-ownership....
should be explicitly recognized and protected, (b) that universal access to enabling technologies (including such things as education and medicine) is a right in itself, and a precondition for all other rights, (c) personhood, sentienceSentienceSentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
, and capacity for having morally relevant interestsSelf-awarenessSelf-awareness is the capacity for introspection and the ability to reconcile oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals...
are the bases of rights-bearing, not humanness or the human genome. - Campaign for Longer Better Lives: A campaign for a multinational research program to develop therapies to slow agingLife extensionLife extension science, also known as anti-aging medicine, experimental gerontology, and biomedical gerontology, is the study of slowing down or reversing the processes of aging to extend both the maximum and average lifespan...
. - Campaign for Future Friendly Culture: A campaign to encourage balanced and constructive portrayals of longevityLongevityThe word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
, human enhancementHuman enhancementHuman enhancement refers to any attempt to temporarily or permanently overcome the current limitations of the human body through natural or artificial means...
and emerging technologiesEmerging technologiesIn the history of technology, emerging technologies are contemporary advances and innovation in various fields of technology. Various converging technologies have emerged in the technological convergence of different systems evolving towards similar goals...
in popular culture.
In 2008, as part of a rebranding effort, the WTA changed its name to "Humanity+" in order to project a more humane image.
Objectives
- to support discussion and public awareness of emerging technologiesEmerging technologiesIn the history of technology, emerging technologies are contemporary advances and innovation in various fields of technology. Various converging technologies have emerged in the technological convergence of different systems evolving towards similar goals...
; - to defend the right of individuals in free and democratic societies to adopt technologies that expand human capacitiesMorphological freedomMorphological freedom refers to a proposed civil right of a person to either maintain or modify his or her own body, on his or her own terms, through informed, consensual recourse to, or refusal of, available therapeutic or enabling medical technology....
; - to anticipate and propose solutions for the potential consequences of emerging technologies;
- to actively encourage and support the development of emerging technologies judged to have sufficiently probable positive benefit.
Programs and activities
In 2008, Humanity+ started publishing h+ Magazine, a periodical first edited by R. U. SiriusR. U. Sirius
R. U. Sirius is an American writer, editor, talk show host, musician and cyberculture celebrity. He is best known as co-founder and original Editor-In-Chief of Mondo 2000 magazine from 1989–1993. Sirius was also chairman and candidate in the 2000 U.S. presidential election for The Revolution Party...
which disseminates transhumanist news and ideas. h+ Magazine is now a website edited by Michael Anissimov featuring news and articles about transhumanist issues and technologies.
Humanity+ has spawned a host of chapters around the world. In total, there are dozens of formed or forming local groups—one on virtually every continent. A dozen transhumanist groups in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
have also formally affiliated with Humanity+.
Humanity+ also administers the $20,000 Gada Prize, which will be awarded to the team which can design, build and demonstrate a more advanced 3D printer
3D printing
3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing technology where a three dimensional object is created by laying down successive layers of material. 3D printers are generally faster, more affordable, and easier to use than other additive manufacturing technologies. However, the term 3D printing is...
on the base of RepRap by the end of 2012.
Notable members
- Ben GoertzelBen GoertzelBen Goertzel , is an American author and researcher in the field of artificial intelligence. He currently leads Novamente LLC, a privately held software company that attempts to develop a form of strong AI, which he calls "Artificial General Intelligence"...
- David PearceDavid Pearce (philosopher)David Pearce is a British utilitarian thinker. He believes and promotes the idea that there exists a strong ethical imperative for humans to work towards the abolition of suffering in all sentient life. His book-length internet manifesto The Hedonistic Imperative details how he believes the...
- George DvorskyGeorge DvorskyGeorge P. Dvorsky is a transhumanist futurist, and author of the Sentient Developments blog. Dvorsky is a co-founder and president of the Toronto Transhumanist Association, and currently serves on the board of directors for Humanity+ and the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies...
- Giulio PriscoGiulio PriscoGiulio Prisco, born in Napoli in 1957, is an Italian information technology virtual reality consultant; as well as a writer, futurist, and transhumanist. He is an advocate of cryonics and contributes to the science and technology online magazine Tendencias21...
- James Hughes
- Mark Alan WalkerMark Alan WalkerMark Alan Walker, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at New Mexico State University, where he occupies the Richard L. Hedden Endowed Chair in Advanced Philosophical Studies. Prior to his professorship at NMSU Prof. Walker taught at McMaster University in the department of philosophy and...
- Max MoreMax MoreMax More is a philosopher and futurist who writes, speaks, and consults on advanced decision-making about emerging technologies....
- Michael VassarMichael VassarMichael Vassar is a futurist, activist, entrepreneur, and the president of the Singularity Institute. He advocates safe development of new technologies for the benefit of mankind. He has held positions with Aon, the Peace Corps, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology...
- Natasha Vita-MoreNatasha Vita-MoreNatasha Vita-More is a transhumanist, media artist and designer, with a science background, known for designing "Primo Posthuman." This future human prototype incorporates biotechnology, robotics, information technology, nanotechnology, cognitive and neuroscience for human enhancement and extreme...
- Nick BostromNick BostromNick Bostrom is a Swedish philosopher at the University of Oxford known for his work on existential risk and the anthropic principle. He holds a PhD from the London School of Economics...
- Patri FriedmanPatri FriedmanPatri Friedman is an American activist and theorist of political economy.- Background :Friedman grew up in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and is a graduate of Upper Merion Area High School, class of 1994, where he went by the name Patri Forwalter-Friedman. He graduated from Harvey Mudd College in...
- RU Sirius
Humanity+ and affiliated organizations
- Humanity+, official website
- H+ Summit @ Harvard, official website of the H+ Summit @ Harvard
- World Transhumanist Association, archived website
- Transhumanist Student Network, a student/youth organization affiliated with Humanity+
- h+, a transhumanist campus outreach organization
Media coverage
- " Professor believes cyborgs are people, too". Nashua Telegraph
- "The Most Dangerous Idea On Earth?". Raider News
- "Transhumanism, Biotechnology and Slippery Slopes". Thomas More Institute
- "Death Be Not Proud". TCS DailyTCS DailyTCS Daily is an online magazine with commentary and analysis on current news from a free-market perspective.TCS is an initialism that now stands for "Technology, Commerce, Society"; when the Web site was founded in 2000, those three letters stood for its original name, "Tech Central Station." The...
- "Drugs and marriage go together like a horse and carriage". McGill Daily
- "How Many Transhumanists Does it Take . . . ?" New York Inquirer
- "Transhumanists envision 400-year lifespans". Macomb Daily
- "The Great Byte Hope". This Magazine
- "Biotech Issues Increasingly Political". Illinois Federation for the Right to Life Daily News
- "The New Perfectionism". Council for Secular HumanismCouncil for Secular HumanismThe Council for Secular Humanism is a secular humanist organization headquartered in Amherst, New York. In 1980 CODESH issued A Secular Humanist Declaration, an argument for and statement of belief in Democratic Secular Humanism...
- "The self-made man: equality, democracy, and the cyborg era". Radio NetherlandsRadio NetherlandsRadio Netherlands Worldwide is a public radio and television network based in Hilversum, producing and transmitting programmes for international audiences outside the Netherlands...
- "The Rhetoric of Extinction". New Atlantis magazineNew Atlantis magazineThe New Atlantis, founded in 2003, is a journal about the social and political dimensions of science and technology. Published by the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., the journal is a quarterly, and consists of serious essays on a variety of science and technology...