Re: The image of transhumanism

Dan Clemmensen (Dan@Clemmensen.ShireNet.com)
Sun, 05 Jul 1998 11:37:21 -0400

den Otter wrote:
>
> ==============
>
> Some key points are:
> --Image may be important, but ultimately what counts is survival
> and flourishing. The actual goals should not be compromised too
> much for PR reasons (this reminds me of the story of the three pigs
> and the big bad wolf; pigs one and two don't take the Coming of the
> Wolf (Singularity/Y2K/WW3 etc) too seriously, and make their houses
> of bad materials. The wise survivalist pig takes a lot more trouble
> to build a solid house, and doesn't give in to peer pressure from
> the other pigs, that scoff at his work. Of course we all know what
> happens afterwards... ;-)
>

The story has always been badly misinterpreted. If the first two pigs had been effective in turning away the wolf, the third pig would not have had time to complete his house and the wolf would have plucked him kicking and screaming from his half-built house.

To stretch analogy far past its breaking point, we really need society as a whole to keep on about its business while the futurists work out how to make the transition to the posthuman condition. In return for the service of maintaining society, the futurists should try to help the remainder of humanity to make the transition, not scoff at them as a bunch of clueless losers.