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What is Extropianism? If Libertarian and Democratic Transhumanism can
be most clearly defined through their social, political, and economic agendas, 2022 Latest Answers
Extropianism, another current within the transhumanist scenario, can be
approached more distinctively as a philosophy related to the individual and
self-transformation. According to Max More, one of the main theorists of
Transhumanism and the founder of Extropianism, it can be considered the
“first fully developed transhumanist philosophy” (2013: 5); this is why, although
the Extropy Institute closed in 2006, such an approach is still relevant. Its main
principles can be summarized as perpetual progress, self-transformation,
practical optimism, intelligent technology, open society (information and
democracy), self-direction, rational thinking (More 2003). The uncritical
emphasis on notions such as rationality, progress, and optimism should not be
unexpected, given the fact that Transhumanism does not fully acknowledge the
philosophical contribution of postmodernity, but it seeks its origins in science
and technology, philosophically rooting itself in the Enlightenment, and so it
does not expropriate rational humanism. This is an important aspect that we
must not overlook.
