TOTAL PRESENTATION ANTHRO - SEMSTER 4 PDF

Why is it important? Link between the meaning of my individual life and its place in the larger narrative – in most contexts and times, religious or atheists, it seems essential, in order to give meaning to my life, that I can consider it as part of a larger whole (of my community, of Humanity) Vari...

Why is it important? Link between the meaning of my individual life and its place in the larger narrative – in most contexts and times, religious or atheists, it seems essential, in order to give meaning to my life, that I can consider it as part of a larger whole (of my community, of Humanity) Various conceptions of the meaning of human history 1) Cyclical history 2) the religious notion of Providence 3) the modern idea of Progress 4) the absence of any « meta-narrative » 5) Transhumanism 1) Cyclical History History is cyclical see Ecclesiastes I, 9: – « What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. » see Mayan calendar 1) Cyclical History Meaning of my life in a cyclical history: – like a relay race in which the meaning of my contribution is just to pass on the baton and be one link of the infinite chain of generations. 1) Cyclical History Problem with this conception: – a very ancient (primitive?) conception – … but scientific evidence shows that the history of humanity contains linear, non-reversible evolutions – ex: invention of writing, technology, globalisation Various conceptions of the meaning of human history 1) Cyclical history 2) the religious notion of Providence 3) the modern idea of Progress 4) the absence of any « meta-narrative » 5) Transhumanism 2) the religious conception of the Purpose of History: Providence Experience of the Jewish People: – there are non-reversible events (crossing of the Red Sea) – … that are guided by God – … and God has a project (Providence) – and a purpose for the Final Accomplishment of History (the coming of the Messiah) 2) the religious conception of the Purpose of History: Providence The End of Time for Christianity F NAL DESTINY and humankind of soll ↑ - – the notion of End of Time = « Eschatology » – waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ – and the Last Judgment, which will accomplish all Justice Various conceptions of the meaning of human history 1) Cyclical history 2) the religious notion of Providence 3) the modern idea of Progress 4) the absence of any « meta-narrative » 5) Transhumanism 3) the modern notion of Progress the consequences of the progress of Science – gives the idea that we don’t have to wait for the second coming of Christ – we can make life better by our own means, without the help of God 3) the modern notion of Progress “For I thus saw that one may reach conclusions of great usefulness in life, and discover a practical philosophy in the place of the speculative philosophy taught by the Schoolmen; one which would show us the energy and action of fire, air, and stars, the heavens, and all other bodies in our environment, as distinctly as we know the various crafts of our artisans, and could apply them in the same way to all appropriate uses and thus make ourselves masters and owners of nature.” Descartes, Discourse on the Method 3) the modern notion of Progress Rise of an atheist / secularized notion of the Meaning of History: “Progress” – example: Marxism – Purpose of History = the classless society 3) the modern notion of Progress Rise of an atheist / secularized notion of the Meaning of History: “Progress” – example 2: Fukuyama’s “end of history” – Purpose of History = the final victory of liberal democracy on all the globe 3) the modern notion of Progress Two dimensions of “Progress” – techno-scientific dimension future generations will have better technology and science – moral dimension future generations know better what is morally right example: successive liberation movements: slavery, racism, sexism, … speciesism (?) 3) the modern notion of Progress The meaning of my individual life in the grand narrative of “Progress” – if I fight on the right side of History, then … – … my life will have contributed to Progress – … I will be judged a Just person by the future generations 3) the modern notion of Progress … still very close to the religious idea of Providence – the development of History is inevitable (like Fate or Divine guidance) – Humanity is directed towards a perfect goal – there will be a judgment of all people past (by « History », or by future generations) 3) the modern notion of Progress Problems with the modern notion of Progress – Problem 1: it is still a kind of religious faith not grounded on evidence but on gratuitous prediction about the future (though Marx presented his predictions as « purely scientific ») 3) the modern notion of Progress Problems with the modern notion of Progress – Problem 2: Individual death my life will serve the grand purpose of Humanity but… my life will still be sacrificed and as an individual there is no hope of life after death! ! individual death needs to be hidden as much as possible, in order to make us forget that Progress cannot satisfy our deepest desire! (cf. Huxley, Brave New World) Various conceptions of the meaning of human history 1) Cyclical history 2) the religious notion of Providence 3) the modern idea of Progress 4) the absence of any « meta-narrative » 5) Transhumanism 4) Post-modernity and the « end of metanarratives » Nietzsche’s idea of the Death of God » « – people who reject God’s existence are not yet aware of the consequences – they keep « relics » of God in their worldview – the idea of Progress is such a relic 4) Post-modernity and the « end of metanarratives » Lyotard: Post-modernity is the end of « meta-narratives » – Meta-narrative = the grand narrative of history that gives meaning to all our little stories e.g. belief in Divine Providence, but also in Marxist Progress, in Democracy’s Progress, etc. 4) Post-modernity and the « end of metanarratives » Lyotard: Post-modernity is the end of « meta-narratives » – Consequence: my life cannot take meaning in the place it holds in the general Meaning of Humanity – Problem: can human beings really live like that, without a Meaning of their life? 5) Transhumanism: the return of Progress (but…) Problem of Post-modernism – we can’t live without a hope for a meaning of History Problem of the modern idea of Progress – progress of Humanity but individual death Solution to all problems: Transhumanism 5) Transhumanism: the return of Progress (but…) Transhumanism = – Progress of technology will give us Victory over individual Death! – … but given that Death is part of the animal nature of Human Beings … – … transhumanism means the overcoming of human nature 5) Transhumanism: the return of Progress (but…) Keeps a « religious » faith in Fate – « Ultimately, the entire universe will become saturated with our intelligence. This is the destiny of the universe. We will determine our own fate rather than have it determined by the current ‘dumb’, simple, machinelike forces that rule celestial mechanics. » – Ray Kurzweil (Google’s director of engineering) 5) Transhumanism: the return of Progress (but…) Problems with transhumanism – 1) Still a « religious » faith in the future – 2) Traditional notion of Progress was a progress of humanity, Transhumanism is a progress away from Humanity ! not a humanism anymore! Nietzschean remark: the ultimate consequence of the « death » of God (in Western thought) is the « death » of the Human Being as well…