94: Douglas Rushkof - Rethinking Transhumanism and Reuniting Humanity

94: Douglas Rushkof - Rethinking Transhumanism and Reuniting Humanity Our guest in the last two episodes is Douglas Rushkoff, a media theorist, lecturer, and author of Team Human, as well as a dozen other books on media, technology, and culture. In recent years, he has become a critic of technology for separating us from what makes us human. In Part 1 of this interview we discuss the still untapped possibilities of digital technology, the causes and potential solutions to dystopian visions of the future, as well as transhumanism and its assumptions about human nature. You can check out Part 1 at http://bit.ly/2G1JVWH. In Part 2 we continue our conversation on transhumanism, on the distrust in the corporate-run digital environment, and discuss who can challenge the existing structures and create a new, truly intersectional culture. "There's a surrender to digital categorization of people and using intersectionalism to isolate and alienate, rather than to find common ground and reunite human species." - Douglas Rushkoff Click to Tweet: https://bit.ly/2Kphw1a In This Episode of Future Thinkers: - The origins and development of transhumanism, and its problematic assumptions - Transhumanism - does amplifying one human ability necessarily decrease another? - Self-centered western spirituality as just another example of consumerism - A linear idea of progress as opposed to a circular experience of reality - How technological platforms keep building on top of each other without challenging the underlying system - Who are some people who are challenging the dominant structures of our world? - How digital environment treats history, and self-censoring for fear of something being offensive in the future - Intersectionality - a uniting or dividing force? - How young generations build resistance to addictive technologies "The beauty of neuroplasticity is not just that human brain conforms to the media system, but also that it develops adaptive strategies for the media environment that it's in." - Douglas Rushkoff Click to Tweet: https://bit.ly/2DayASC Links And Resources: - Douglas Rushkoff's website -https://rushkoff.com/ - How to be "Team Human" in the Digital Future - TED Talk by Douglas Rushkoff - https://youtu.be/Is1YUQVYkvY - Survival of the Richest - Douglas Rushkoff's Medium post - https://bit.ly/2MRgeIw Recommended Books: - Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff - https://amzn.to/2FKVbpc - Other books by Douglas Rushkoff - https://amzn.to/2I5O0Lb More From Future Thinkers: - FTP084, 085: Kevin Kelly - What Technology Wants and Why We Need Humans in the Future http:www/futurethinkers.org/84 - FTP045: Amber Case - Calm Technology and Human-Machine Interactions http://bit.ly/2UtBRa5 - FTP030: Robin Hanson - The Age of Em: 1 Year After We Upload Ourselves to Internet http://bit.ly/2G3qBYc - FTP025: James Hughes - Cyborg Buddha, Transhuman Enlightenment and Basic Income http://bit.ly/2UtBPyZ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Course in Personal Evolution - Take the course designed to help you create a life of meaning, purpose and impact: http://bit.ly/2Iej6Aj