The Transhumanist Wager

by Zoltan Istvan

  “Even using the utmost reasoning of which your brains are capable, changing your current flawed values and methods of living will be extremely difficult. For many of you, the thoughts and irrational patterns of your daily lives are deeply ingrained in you. With tremendous effort, however, you will succeed. Success will come if you emulate Transhumanians in utilizing and vocalizing one word more than any other. Believing in that sacrosanct word is the key to properly navigating an evolution of values. That word is why.

  “In this new world, you must learn to repeatedly ask yourselves, Why? It is the most important utterance the individual should ever know. You should use this sacred word with obsessive zeal; you should fall in love with the unknown and question everything. Including this speech. Why is a word and a concept Earth’s leaders in the past 10,000 years have tried to deny you in their efforts to harness and control you. It is a word your biology has even thwarted you from saying, as it unknowingly holds on to obsolete instincts. As a result, most of you don’t even know you should be saying the word so frequently. Yet, without saying it, you’ve automatically lost every battle that confronts you. The nature of such a disguised dilemma makes your chances of fighting for yourselves impossible. You don’t even know what there is to win, let alone what there is to fight for, or that there even is a fight. So many people suffer from this essential ignorance in their lives that there are haunting problems and handicaps in their perspectives, beliefs, and consciousnesses. Many would struggle to the death—and indeed do—just to prove they are right about everything they have been conditioned to believe. Yet, this doesn’t change their ignorance or problems one iota. The best action to meaningfully change your course in this universe is to frequently start asking, Why?

  “The depressing truth is that throughout history, all the way up until yesterday, most everything around has betrayed you. Your cultures have manipulated you. Your morals have failed you. Your religions have lied to you. Your governments have suppressed you. Your media has tricked you. Your corporations have exploited you. Your biology has hindered you. And your interpretations of it have blinded you. But now, from this moment onward, all that is behind you. Today, my nation and I proclaim your ignorance over. Today, the veil of illusion has been pulled off your heads. Transhumania and I deem irrationality—via baggage culture and the inability to overcome our outdated biology—rescinded. It’s time to join the new transhuman reality and its way of being. It’s time for you to evolve your values to see things transparently, and then to act appropriately. To do this improperly—to do this any other way—is to muck up our chance to overcome death, our own evolutionary ascent, and our ability to overcome whatever else the universe can throw at us.

  “On Transhumania, our own evolution of values has made us understand what we are capable of and where we are going. We learned to not live in the past, but on the edge, where evolution advances. And we adjust our principles and actions as we go, based on that changing edge—based on reasoning in our brains that instructs us what will work best now, and also in the future. We live according to what we believe we are becoming; we call it the futurization of values. We do it because we know the universe is not finished. The universe is changing, evolving. And with it, each of us is evolving. The human race is evolving. And in this evolution, a modification of values is not only immediately necessary, but also constantly necessary. This evolution and its futurization of values is the examination and comprehension of everything we consider important, and it is the best foothold we have in facilitating our climb to the highest powers we can achieve. By living that way, we will inevitably become that way—the way we desire.

  “The reason transhumanists became far stronger than you is not in our numbers, our might, or our courage. It’s in our understanding of how the philosophy of evolution takes place. Our interpretation of values taught us that evolution and its ascent of technology do not operate off democratic principles, but off principles of might, off principles of survival. You have forgotten this. You need to remember the truth, especially this one essential truth: Nothing and no one is equal. It is crucial for all advanced thinking beings to understand the strength and sophistication of the human race were founded upon the longstanding verity of inequality. Simply said, each race is smarter than the other in some way. Each sex is better than the other in some endeavor. Each body is better designed for some activity than another. Each mind on the planet is better suited for various actions than another. Everyone stands somewhere in a hierarchy of individual, social, and universal worth. Distinction and differentiation of beings are at the center of all life. We are all value-assessing entities. We are all judgmental bigots. We should embrace that and act on it. Throughout history, it’s the reason the strong became stronger and the weak became weaker, until the weak were no more, and the strong had to compete against each other—leaving, again, one group stronger than the other. This remarkable cycle perpetuates the efficient technique of evolution. Most of you have circumvented it in your orgies of democracy, your forays into collectivism, your promotion of multiculturalism. Pretense at a politically correct universal equality has left you weak-minded, unreasonable, and downtrodden. On Transhumania, we have not forgotten the disparity of all values; we have embraced it.

  “What, then, is the basis for dealing with this fundamental inequality that pervades civilization, for a morality that fits with transhumanists and their new world? What, then, if it’s not to serve others? Or to work for the greater good? Or to uphold the commonly accepted Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you? All those cheerleading, do-gooder maxims are nonsense to the transhumanist. The basis of a transhumanist’s morality consists of this: I would do anything and everything to get what I want—so long as it doesn’t meaningfully interfere with the nature of the thing I want. Emulating the unwavering synchronized order of a machine, a genuine transhumanist would undergo any path to become its finest self. That’s its most dominant desire, to rise to its best and become as powerful as possible. A transhumanist has no immediate concern for others, for family, for state, for heritage, for humanity, for God; only for its power, and the preservation and growth of that power.

  “Nonetheless, a transhumanist maintains superb overall personal integrity, as well as strict logical and reasonable methods for dealing with people and other values on this planet. Currently, the transhumanist still very much needs other people and sees value in what others can offer. A transhumanist sees much worth in using them for what one can gain. And if that requires trading, or giving back in return, or caring for others, then the transhumanist thinks it’s a good deal, a meaningful deal, a fair deal. The transhumanist also likes the Earth and nature, and feels bound to it—but knows the planet is not a permanent home; it’s just a starting point. The transhumanist likes and supports materialism and the acquisition of it—but not when it's dysfunctional or consumes people and their lives. The transhumanist strives for happiness—but knows that scientific progress and evolutionary fulfillment in one’s life is at least as important. The transhumanist doesn’t believe in acting irrational—and never goes against evolutionary ascent. The transhumanist supports the immediate family entity—but knows the individual is always the most important factor. The transhumanist doesn’t believe in nor cares about heritage, origin, or the past—only potential, value, and the future. The transhumanist believes in discrimination when it involves merit, efficacy, and consequence—and no other form of it. The transhumanist believes people have the right to do with their bodies what they want—unless it directly and obviously deters human enhancement and life extension goals of other transhumanists; in such a case, may the stronger force, seeking to evolve in the universe, win.

  "Eventually, transhuman entities and technology will advance so far that paradigm shifts of social and moral standards will be required; especially, new mores that allow us to successfully coexist amongst one another. Until then, however, this is what you can expect on our planet in the near future: Tra
nshumania will establish a worldwide government to efficiently maintain civil society—as little government as possible to remain expedient in reaching transhuman goals. Transhumania will fund its government with taxation of everyone's income—as little taxation as possible to reasonably govern. Transhumania will continue to support basic human rights and freedoms—but only if it doesn't hinder or limit essential transhuman ambitions. Transhumania will promote capitalism, competition, free trade, and private property around the world—so long as it doesn't impede or counter the overall transhuman mission. Transhumania will employ judicial due process and fair laws of justice guiding social endeavors—but all courts, judges, and lawmakers will now be required to promote the greater transhuman agenda. Transhumania will strive to settle all disputes, conflicts, and problems without violence—but it firmly believes in possessing the most powerful weapons, having an aggressive police force, and using military might against enemies. Transhumania will implement a strict worldwide family planning policy: People who can reasonably and successfully raise children will be allowed to procreate and encouraged to do so; all others will not be allowed to procreate. Transhumania will support and advance the best healthcare and medical innovation possible—but insists that all people acquire it themselves at their own expense if they desire it. Transhumania will offer no retirement options nor public pensions—transhumanists either die natural deaths, cryonically freeze themselves while still alive, or, preferably, never retire. Transhumania will halt all free government handouts to people—transhumanists do not believe in welfare; your freebies are over.

  "There is, however, one all-important service Transhumania will provide completely gratis. Transhumanists vehemently believe in comprehensive, religion-free, scholastic education; from this moment forward, decreed by law of Transhumania, no one on the planet is exempt from receiving an adequate one. If you do not have a college education or the equivalent of it—if you don't know how to solve advanced mathematical problems; can't competently read classical literature; don't understand evolutionary biology; haven't written essays exploring the humanities; don't know the essentials of modern physics; can't efficiently use a computer; don't intimately know the planet's geography; can't recognize important art and music—then you are going back to school. Transhumania doesn't care whether you receive your education in formal classrooms, at night schools, via online learning, or through self-teaching with regular outside testing—but you will need to achieve an acceptable level of intellectual capacity and performance in order to be allowed to live freely on Planet Earth. The new cognitive advantages of mass education will help bring our civilization to accept transhumanism and to overcome baggage culture. You do not have a choice in this massive decree; this is a universal Transhumanian conscription—not one for war, but for brains. In our modern world, ignorance is not only a tragedy, but also a crime that will be punishable by excessive fines and hard labor in prison.

  "Additionally, for those who interfere with the daunting task of educating the world—especially chauvinistic, religious-minded men holding back females and family members they think they own—you will be publicly executed.

  “For many of you, the revolutionary ideas of the forthcoming new society on Earth carry a stench of selfishness, self-righteousness, pro-elitism, and oppression. They counter much of what you have believed in and have experienced throughout life, so far. Yet, do not tell me such a domineering, egotistical world is bound to fail. I tell you now: It will not. Do you think a transhuman civilization based on self-merit, reason, abundant education, and prodigious ambition will tear itself apart and destroy itself? I tell you this civilization will thrive like nothing you can imagine. Many of the weak, ignorant, lazy, and inconsequential people on the planet may get left behind, but the human race’s evolutionary ascent will sharply rise. In time, we will be healthier than ever, richer than ever, more educated than ever, and more advanced than ever. Transhumanists’ fastidious expertise will push our species to greater speeds and heights of progression, forcing everyone to be better and better. We have already proved our mettle and worth in our quick climb to power.

  “Additionally, do not tell me that the world will become overpopulated and environmentally unsound if humans no longer die. The Earth can handle ten times more people than it has now, if properly managed with care for our environment and limited resources. With reason and scientific technological fixes, we can readily grow the population of creators and innovators on this planet without compromising the Earth’s environment. Besides, in less than a century, most of you will not be biological anymore. You will already be part machine, part cyborg, part whatever the evolutionary course takes for us to become stronger and more adept. Many of your ecological, resource, and material concerns and fears will become irrelevant—just like myriad past worries and foibles in our species’ history.

  “Furthermore, do not tell me that if the human race morphs into superior forms—such as cyborgs, conscious machines, and even artificial intelligences—the magic and mystery of the universe will be lost. No such thing will happen. The universe has far more magic and mystery than our small human brains can currently know. You may believe that the thoughts, actions, and experiences of an artificial entity will be cold, sterile, superficial, and meaningless. What utter nonsense. These new entities will have more capacity and potential than humans ever did, and they will quickly become the greatest, most complex, most interesting beings and forces on the planet. The species transhumanists create and evolve into in the near future will have the power and intelligence of thousands, if not millions, of human beings combined. And in that new, noble world, we shall find plenty to keep our interests hearty. We shall finally begin to see how big the universe truly is and how it really operates. That not-so-distant future will prove far more magical and mysterious than where we are now.

  “Finally, do not tell me that God, or some infinite justice, or some imaginary karma, will come and redeem the human race, and punish Transhumanians for their arrogance and evil. Stop hoping for such nonsense. Your twisted fairy tales have left you feeble and naive. We, the transhumanists, are now in charge. And we are asking you to join us and to contribute to the new world.

  “People of Earth, these are my final words: The moment has arrived for a new philosophy, morality, culture, and intellectual vibrancy for the planet, prompted by the leadership of transhumanists and a worldwide futurization of values. New ethics and rules will emerge. That is the nature of the transformation. Transhumanists will undergo great change in order to become their best and most advanced selves. Ultimately, we will evolve into stronger, more durable, more ideal beings. Form follows function is the strategy of a perfect entity; it will come to dominate our behavior over the coming centuries. This is the natural course of evolution, the most rational course. You may say we are monsters because we will soon amputate our limbs and cut out our organs, and replace them with better synthetic, robotic, and cybernetic parts. Or because some of us already have computer chips in our heads, enhancing our lives and behaviors. Or because we adhere to an egotistical, unforgiving set of ethics that favors the individual and the rise of undemocratic technology. But those of you who survive long enough into the future will all act and think like that.

  “The coming androids, cyborgs, thinking robots, artificial intelligence systems, and other transhuman entities in our civilization will operate off different ethics than do purely biological beings. Their value systems will be sounder, less emotionally fragmented, more purely related to computational logic, and free of baggage culture and archaic instincts. They may not need food; they may not need sunlight; they may not need air. They may not even need the Earth at all anymore. They will be stronger and more resilient than we are. Those are all the reasons Transhumanians will promote them—and why we will transform ourselves into them. We transhumanists are on an ascent from being frail, disease-prone savages to being conscious, self-designed entities that may never need health maintenance again. And after tha
t, who knows what we will become and how far we will evolve.

  “I hope you are beginning to see what the new world will be like. I hope you are beginning to understand the bold power of transhumanism and the superlative difference it will make in your lives. I especially hope each one of you will make the right choice now that the Transhumanist Wager has been offered to you. Don’t be imprudent and dismiss the opportunity to improve yourselves and your existence. Cast off your stifling baggage culture and the outdated instincts pervading your thoughts and ambitions. Question everything, learn as much as you can, and use reason to help you see the truth. I tell you now: The end of the human species as you know it is upon us. Prepare yourself for it. Don’t fear it. Embrace it. Contribute to it. You will become more yourself—your best self, your transhuman self.

  “If you want to join us, now is your chance. Stand up for yourself and against your own ineptitude, and help us produce and fulfill the transhuman mission. The transhuman mission is stated in the TEF Manifesto, which each original Transhumanian citizen has accepted. It says: The transhuman mission is to pursue the most expedient course an individual can take to reach one's most powerful and advanced self, whose primary purpose is to overcome anything that gets in the way of that goal; namely, death.

  “Otherwise, if you do not agree with us and with our mission, if you choose to refuse the logic and sensibility of the Transhumanist Wager, then get out of the way—or be thrown out of the way. We have a new world to forge. And we will not stop until we achieve it.

  “May the Transhuman Revolution last forever.”

  Chapter 34

  People all around the globe listened, humiliated and terrified.

  Many were also fiercely outraged. How dare someone threaten to push them back into the Dark Ages! How dare some tiny clan decide the fate of all peoples on Earth! How could God or Jesus or Allah or Krishna let this happen? Where was that higher power? Where was divine intervention?