The Ocean of Consciousness
Emergence of Techno-Religions
The chapter outlines a shift from traditional theistic religions toward "techno-religions," which arise from technological advancements rather than theological or philosophical reflections. Silicon Valley, rather than religious institutions, is posited as the emerging spiritual center due to its focus on creating technologies that might promise everything from happiness to immortality on earth, without the intervention of supernatural beings.
Techno-Humanism and Data Religion
Two main types of techno-religions are identified: techno-humanism and data religion.
- Techno-humanism proposes using technology to upgrade humans to a new form called Homo deus, enhancing physical and mental abilities to an extent that humans can compete with sophisticated algorithms and artificial intelligence, not just enhancing but fundamentally changing human capacities.
- Data religion, to be discussed in the following chapter, suggests that humans might soon pass their "cosmic torch" to entirely new entities, effectively ending the human-centric view of the universe.
Challenges of Mind Engineering
The notion of upgrading the human mind is critically examined. The chapter highlights the dangers inherent in manipulating mental states, given our limited understanding of human consciousness. It uses an analogy of a small island of known mental states surrounded by a vast ocean of undiscovered possibilities. Just as humans can only perceive a tiny fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum, our understanding of possible mental states is similarly limited.
The discussion extends to the predominance of research focused on Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies, suggesting a skewed understanding of the human mind that may not be broadly applicable or adequate for developing universal technologies for mind enhancement.
Loss of Abilities and Historical Perspectives
Technological advancements might not only enhance certain mental capabilities but also cause the atrophy of others, such as the reduced importance of the olfactory senses and the ability to dream vividly, which were more significant in ancestral environments than in modern industrial societies.
The chapter speculates on how future technologies might prioritize certain mental faculties over others based on economic and political utility, possibly at the expense of a richer, multi-faceted human experience.
The Ethical and Philosophical Implications
There is a profound exploration of the dilemmas posed by the ability to engineer and manipulate desires themselves. This capability challenges the very foundation of humanism, which holds the human experience as the highest authority. If we can redesign our desires, the notion of an "authentic self" becomes questionable, potentially undermining the core humanist directive to follow one’s own will.
This philosophical conundrum is exemplified by the hypothetical scenario of a person deciding to change his sexual orientation through technology, raising questions about authenticity, identity, and the influence of external technologies on personal will.
Conclusion and the Rise of Dataism
The chapter concludes by introducing a shift towards Dataism. This emerging perspective might replace human experiences and desires with data as the primary source of meaning in the universe, proposing a fundamental reevaluation of value and purpose in a technologically advanced society. This shift implies a move away from human-centered philosophies and towards a new form of understanding based on the flow and processing of information.