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Gaian and Extropian
Gaians and Extropians (aka Transhumanists) may constitute two great divergancies in the vision of future human development
On the one hand, Gaians aim at recognition of the complex of nested selves which is Gaia, at harmonizing themselves with the unlimited potential of Gaian life for creative development, and at a future in which we discover ourselves in a profound way as part of this being, and derive our sense of identity and meaning therein.
On the other hand, Extropians seem aimed at a future in which humans devour and transform this planet to their own creations, then leave it to continue this activity throughout the universe, probably as minds uploaded to self replicating cyborgs.
I suspect this Extropian vision has much to do with the 'use it up and move on' attitude that has brought us to our present condition.
Is what is offered by the Extropians really nothing more than an infinite extension of the wilderness frontier, thus allowing us to continue the same destructive pattern of activity for all time?
I agree that there is a big difference in values between gaians and
extropians; Jaron Lanier called it the Steward/Extropian division and
Hugo de Garis the Terrestrialist/Cosmist views. The fundamental
difference seems to be about whether we should preserve what we got as
it is or if we should try to make it better. I don't expect it to be
possible to reconcile these different values, and instead hope they can
co-exist (if necessary by having the extropians go into space or
something similar).
However, I think you are misrepresenting the extropian position (which
in turn leads to an even stronger polarization as extropians decide
gaians are polemic tree-huggers and so on). While there certainly are
'use it up and move on' extropians, they appear to be a small minority
(just as I expect 'mankind is a disease that must be purged' gaians to
be a small minority). In fact, the extropian mindset clearly values life
and complexity; a biosphere is the embodiment of extropy! There is
extropian environmentalism seeking to preserve what can be preserved of
the rainforests, there have been elaborate discussions of how to spread
life across the universe and let it evolve on its own with minimal
(post)human interaction.
Anders
Anders sends the following references:
Re the rainforest project (BioArchive), see the Extropian
Environmentalist page at http://www.extropy.com/BioArchive/
There are also some texts about the Extropian views on the environment at
The discussions about spreading life can likely be found in the depths of the
archives of the extropian and transhuman lists, if you can find them:
http://www.lucifer.com/exi-lists/
See also the synopsis of _Bringing Life_ to the Stars by David Duemler
at http://www.aleph.se/Trans/Cultural/Philosophy/bring.txt, the First
Millennial Foundation (http://www.millennial.org/) and the writings of
Freeman Dyson for more about spreading life across the universe.
I'm currently writing up a small essay about how the solar system
could look in a few thousand years; I'll get back later when it is
finished.
. . .
Anders! Imagine that you do opt to colonize space, I mean you personally also, in say, 25 years, and along with the rest of the extropian tendency, leave the planet to the "stewards", the "terrestrialists", Gaians, whatever... which I think might be a good scenario, but when you are sitting there in your capsule, breathing bottled air, on some bizarro, forlorn moon somewhere, aren't you going to dream of the green hills of earth, the bluecrystal seashores, the smell of the early morning air? 
Edward O Wilson in an interview in Atlantic Monthly:
"Probably, during the coming century -- which I like to call the "century of the
environment" -- we'll realize that we have to put our house in order, that we
have to bring the populations in balance with the resources of the world and the
physical environment of the world. We will, I hope, reduce the number of
scientific and technological prostheses that we depend on from one week to the
next in order to keep civilization from collapsing. As human populations decline,
moving down to more sustainable levels, there will be more room for open space,
wilderness, and the continued existence of the natural flora and fauna of the
world -- and this will allow us to preserve the diversity of life and even let it
grow back. From that diversity we will be able to draw immense amounts of
knowledge and pleasure in perpetuity. And it will keep humanity's options open.
Our brains, I am convinced, did not evolve to be confined to urban life and
virtual reality, however ingeniously contrived.
I think we'll be moving toward more and more scientific and technological
sophistication, but I doubt if we'll seriously devote much time to something like
space colonization, for example. The sophistication will probably go more toward
the miniaturization of our technology and the increasingly efficient use of
energy systems. That is an equally challenging goal, and the one necessary for
human survival.
We can't predict what political systems we will end up with, whether continuing
as nation-tribes or one world. No one can predict that. But certainly the future
of science and the creative arts is without limit. And I emphasize that latter
part, because one of the scenarios that people fear most is human stagnation. I
don't think stagnation is in the books, even if we confine ourselves for a few
more centuries to this planet. "- E.O.Wilson
Here are some sources for Extropian ideas:
THE EXTROPIAN PRINCIPLES 2.5
(Full v. 2.5 appears in Extropy #11, 2nd Half 1993)
BOUNDLESS EXPANSION: Seeking more intelligence, wisdom, and effectiveness, an unlimited lifespan, and the
removal of political, cultural, biological, and psychological limits to self-actualization and self-realization. Perpetually
overcoming constraints on our progress and possibilities. Expanding into the universe and advancing without end.
SELF-TRANSFORMATION: Affirming continual psychological, intellectual, and physical self-improvement, through
reason and critical thinking, personal responsibility, and experimentation. Seeking biological and neurological
augmentation.
DYNAMIC OPTIMISM: Positive expectations fueling dynamic action. Adopting a rational, action-based optimism,
shunning both blind faith and stagnant pessimism.
INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY: Applying science and technology creatively to transcend "natural" limits imposed by
our biological heritage, culture, and environment.
SPONTANEOUS ORDER: Supporting decentralized, voluntaristic social coordination processes. Fostering tolerance,
diversity, foresight, personal responsibility and individual liberty.
EXTROPIANISM is a transhumanist philosophy: Like humanism, it values reason and humanity and sees no grounds
for belief in unknowable, supernatural forces externally controlling our destiny, but transhumanism goes further in
urging us to push beyond the merely human stage of evolution. As physicist Freeman Dyson has said: "Humanity
looks to me like a magnificent beginning but not the final word."
Visit Anders' Transhumanist Zone
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