Transhumanist separatism is a fringe idea within the transhumanist political spectrum, advocating that transhumanists should form separate societies from mainstream society.
It can be considered a manifestation of the neo-reactionary movement, rejecting democracy and inclusivity.
When in 2010, Rachel Haywire and Jason Schoenecker wrote about "A Transhuman Separatist Manifesto",[1] it provoked reactions of both interest in the future of relationships between enhanced and non-enhanced individuals,[2] as well being described as 'a threat to H+' from various positions within Humanity+ who rejected such an idea.[3]
In later years, the concept of a separatist 'start up society' has been compared to more civilised ISIS, with scepticism directed towards ideas of libertarian sovereign compounds.[4]
As a metaphor for inequality[]
It is a popular idea that unequal access to new technologies will lead to a de facto split between those with and without access to the latest technologies, either in a oligarchic sense, or through state-sanctioned inequality.[5]
In fiction[]
- In the X-Men franchise, conflicts between the Magneto's separatist Brotherhood of Mutants and Professor X's more inclusive approach set the backdrop of a number of conflicts in their fictional universe.
- Inhumans in the Agents of Shield franchise often express separatist tendencies.
- Zoltan Istvan's The Transhumanist Wager features an independent transhumanist state.
- BioShock features a separatist underground state which allows radical genetic augmentations.
References[]
- ↑ A Transhuman Separatist Manifesto/Top 5 Reasons for a Transhumanist Militia
- ↑ Crown on the Ground: Against Transhuman Militance
- ↑ Is Transhuman Militance a Threat to H+?
- ↑ Against Transhuman Separatism: Breakaway Cultures Become Broken Cultures
- ↑ Artificial intelligence: ‘Homo sapiens will be split into a handful of gods and the rest of us’