When the brightest of minds unite.
What if we enabled an incredibly focused, incredibly smart group of people to concentrate on inventing things that would move humanity forward? This book shows what can happen when you eliminate the obstructions of regulation and geography, and get people on a difficult, ambiguous and major project because you know they will find a way to make it work.
We didn't know exactly how to create the atomic bomb, but the Manhattan Project was successful in a large part because it received enough backing, was given an unobstructed setting, and had a small, free-of-distractions team. DARPA retains some of those methodologies to this day. Practical nuclear science brought humanity to a new era, and while the dangers of military use is on everyone's mind, it’s hard to argue against the achievements yielded by dedication to R&D.
The characters in Transhumanist Wager, along with their morals, are magnets for scrutiny. The possibility of creating a real-world Transhumaia might be slim, at least at present. It’s a bold vision, but a core takeaway from this book is a reminder of what is possible when we simply provide the resources to make it happen.
Technology is often a double-edged sword. But if we look at what's needed to bring humanity forward, as a whole, very few things are more scalable, more replicateable, and can change more lives more quickly.
Istvan pushes for a radical refocusing of resources towards things that matter. He calls for a pure economic meritocracy. Looking at the big picture, 10, 100, even 200 years out, inventions like artificial lungs and successful cryogenic reanimation could bring about much more social benefit, than, say, allocating those funds to welfare. The "Radical Transhumanism" idea could be taken to be too narrow-minded, ignoring consequences that come from full application of such ideas (like rises in crime), so at the end of the day, I'm torn what to "do" with ideas from this book.
On one hand, Transhumania and the global changes it evokes are inspiring. We're reminded of the fiction when we look at its major advancements as likely impossible in today's world.
But that impossibility – argues Istvan – is consistently refueled by our own adherence to a cultural and moral system that are becoming increasingly outdated.
While this book opened my eyes much wider to the immediate practicality of certain human enhancing technologies and the unfortunate side effect of political climates that can restrict them, I also found myself looking for a "how can I use this?" approach. It's great when books have practical, useful lessons. Simple awareness may be one of them - and I think it's much more powerful than many of us realize.
Ultimately, how you view this book may rely on how you view the role of a random person in the world. Do you see everyone as having equal rights to health and happiness? Do you see the advancement of our species (and argued by some, survival) as more important than the welfare of a small group of individuals? The former, at an extreme, has more socialist qualities. The latter, at an extreme, would turn is into Sparta. The question is: will focusing more "Spartan like" and adhering to Istvan's TEF yield much greater social goods in the long term, such as technological advancements that greatly extend the human lifespan, intelligence, and physical durability of our bodies. It may even be possible for us to create a path to permanent sentience – effective immortality – if we ignore everything else to achieve this quickly enough to see it as common practice during our lifetimes. If these are true, would the focus they require mean major social sacrifices would be not just smart – but mandatory – in the short term?
Istvan argues yes. This is a conscious risk that he feels will pay off.
What most of us don't realize: the current default - more of a "let's take care of each other" approach - also carries risks of stagnating in decadence and pouring resources that are least likely to have a positive return to society.
In Forbes, Michael Bell wrote about 30% of all Medicare expenditures going to the 5% of beneficiaries that die each year, with 1/3 of that cost occurring in the last month of life.
We allow this for many reasons - some religious, some not wanting to say "no" to a suffering person in need - but ultimately, in a focused analysis, this investment doesn't move society forward. It takes us further into debt, distracts us from healing (another form of enhancing) those with more ability, and except for rare cases where the above patients pour out previously unspoken, incredibly valuable wisdom before passing, this medical and social model may hurt society more than helping it.
For medicare, welfare, and any other social good or resource, Istvan wants to wake us up. To the political setting that hinders and slows change. To the short-sightedness of a touchy-feely attitude towards individuals, regardless of the political party. To the fact that by choosing not to face the "dark side" of advanced technologies (Transhumanist, nuclear, or other), we're embracing, accepting, and green-lighting the "dark side" we're already on.
Whether that current dark side is unsustainable resource depletion, slower progress than necessary to capture very high - ROI inventions, or a bureaucracy too lumbering to adapt and pivot quickly, this book is a very important read.
Yes, you can say the words "Jethro" and "Atrocities" in the same sentence. Yes, you can replace that latter word with "Visionary." Yes, majorly evil people in our world's past have tried to things in a similar manner.
But no; we don't compare them. At least not enough.
The 'majorly evil' people in our world's past [Stalin, Hitler, etc] got a lot done very, very quickly. Yes, it was awful; yes, we don't ever want to repeat or re-allow it. But that's the dark side to concentrated power - just like there's a dark side to concentrated technology (like the atom bomb we dropped in Nagasaki, which some argue was unnecessary after Hiroshima).
We may not be able to face, agree, or decide on sensitive issues like medicare and welfare (even if we're forced to, look at what happened to Austerity measures in Italy). So, the bigger question: Can we peacefully sidestep them?
What I would like to see from Istvan - or anyone who shares strong beliefs in the potential for major advances in Transhumanist technology - is a way to achieve the massive social change, resource mobilization, and concentrated innovation that happened in Transhumania. A method that isn't fictional, but feasible. Now.
Globally, we're able to achieve great things together through platforms like Kickstarter and Kiva. We're able to transcend politics through social media and the Arab Spring. And we're able to amass millions of followers and supporters in an incredibly short period of time. Will the true "impact" of The Transhumanist Wager be one more step down the path of a critical social mass that rises up, achieves Transhumania-like goals, and takes our world to a better place - sidestepping both the undesirable settings of changing our political system and empowering an all-powerful dictator?
I hope so. I'd like to think so. It's something in which, at least now, I'd like to play a part.
Wouldn’t you?
OR
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Top reviews from other countries
motorhead
If I could give this book SIX stars I would.
Reviewed in Canada on March 8, 2015
Omar Gatti
Esser transumanisti vuol dire più che chiacchierar del futuro. Vuol dir AGIRE!
Reviewed in Italy on September 30, 2014Augusto Pérez
Una novela inspiradora y exaltante
Reviewed in Spain on June 24, 2014Buzios
Possibly a life changing book - Philosopy and Action - What more could you want?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2013