HTLGI2012: on Death

June 3, 2012

The festival is now moving into full swing, but I was confined to one morning session by an afternoon appointment with Boheme, this time taking my Aunt Mary, matriarch of the family.   The weather has deteriorated which means the track to the cottage is muddy, slippery and thank god has no ditches.   However I made it to Hay and Death and the Human Animal with Mary Midgley.  Her session returned to the transhumanists and their believe that people have a right to life as long as they desire, to become immortal.   Aside from the practical issues Mary sees this as a the quasi-deification of the ego. Any such practice would of course be for the elite only.  Dying is a social process.

In a question I contrast the three day ritual of the wake for my Irish Catholic Uncle, with the brief events of the Humanist Services for my parents.  I point to the potential of the former to take a more community orientated approach to transition and challenge the one questioner who wants to believe in the singularity. Now raising the important of ritual is a  gift to Mary and we are back again to the main question of this whole festival so far – the community or the individual.

Note from Death and the Human Animal

New immortalise movement claims people have a right to life as long as they want.  'longevity escape velocity'.  Importantly Institute in US.   Proposing removal of death alters the meaning of life itself and has to be examined.  

 

Fits in too well with individualism of the enlightenment.  Human life is the only thing now called sacred.  Gai entitled to reference but not sacred in popular thinking.   Quasi deification of the ego, balancing of the ego no longer as strong as it should be.  Eg trans humanism is a new faith that humans are exempt from earthy conditions. 

Going through the practical issues of pensions etc. etc.  sarcasm on hollowed out asteroids.   Dreams but we have not ceased to believe hat we belong here. 

Jobs – remembering that I will dead soon help me make choices about what is important.

Adapt to survival issues.  Dying is not just a local practice it is the life pattern of all advanced creatures.

Creative process would be frozen for ever by imports lists.  Tunnel vision of people obsessed with single  cause so they forget about human consequences.

It's a solipsism individualism etc etc.

Me on ritual catholic v humanist.   Moral Philosophy Juarrero-  meaning in gaps

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

About the Cynefin Company

The Cynefin Company (formerly known as Cognitive Edge) was founded in 2005 by Dave Snowden. We believe in praxis and focus on building methods, tools and capability that apply the wisdom from Complex Adaptive Systems theory and other scientific disciplines in social systems. We are the world leader in developing management approaches (in society, government and industry) that empower organisations to absorb uncertainty, detect weak signals to enable sense-making in complex systems, act on the rich data, create resilience and, ultimately, thrive in a complex world.
ABOUT USSUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER

Cognitive Edge Ltd. & Cognitive Edge Pte. trading as The Cynefin Company and The Cynefin Centre.

© COPYRIGHT 2024

< Prev

HTLGI2012: Science & Poetry

One of the highlights of this years festival was the presence of moral philosopher Mary ...

More posts

Next >

HTLGI2012: Philosopher Kings

Bad weather and to much work prevented my taking the bike into Hay today and ...

More posts

linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram