Being Human

In times of global crisis the discussions tend towards the financial, the practical and the political. Now, this moment, in these times we must not forget what it means to be human within the world. We must question, discuss and embrace our humanity as being human within the world is a unique position afforded to humanity, and so it is this great responsibility we must now turn towards.

What is an existential position

What is an existential position? An existential position is founded on the idea of there being no God or Gods, that human beings cannot be understood in terms of scientific rationality but only on their own terms. The Existential Human is beyond good and evil as they have no call to a higher being in which to place their faith and whom sits in ultimate judgement. However, this does not deny an ethic from which to base human conduct but the ethic must be based on the needs of human beings not ideologues masquerading as conduits to supra-normal beings from within a hierarchical construct that is only concerned for its perpetual continuance.  An Existential position is above all a human position and open to all by its very nature of being a position afford to humans.

Beyond human, technological transcendance?

Is this really a form of transcendance or technoshamanism without the metaphysical.




But do we then lose what it is really is to be human? We are then no longer real but simulations within a simulation, we become hyper-real. We do not transcend. There is no transcendence only (exist)ance, no being, no death, no life, no essence, we ex(it). Technology eats its maker, man does not become god he becomes extinct as the tool turns on its maker. The real question should be why do we want to transcend (be)ing human.




Like my previous post Android, is it robotic pedagogy or is the pedagogy robotic? not only does teaching need to remain a human practice but so should humanity. If we take Kurzweil to his logical extreme there will be no transcendence only extinction. Overall the whole idea of technological transcendence is technoshamanism without the human participant. 

Why Urban Philosopher

To little thought is given to key reasons of 'knowing' and 'existing'. Within our urban environments we work, eat, consume, sleep, talk but often we do not question what we know and why we exist. These sort of questions, for some reason or another, enter my thoughts on a very regular basis. This blog is an exploration of these and other questions.