IDEA FRIDAY: The Ascent of Man: The Post-Modern Sublimation of Man: Towards a Technological Trans-humanism

I fancy myself somewhat of a Techno-Philosopher, precisely with a special inclination towards the potential of contemporary technology to take us beyond ourselves, that is our Biology, our Physics, Chemistry to even what can be called ‘a sublimation of self towards the Divine Self’. Nature avails the mysteries of existence that imbue humans with the passion to explore and expose them. Since the time of antiquity, humans believed that the anatomy of man is a microcosm of the universe. This supposition does not seem far-fetched considering that the universe is a constant state of expansion. Especially, when considering the overaggressive augmentation by man on the affairs of life, the comparison is fitting. In the affairs of men and nature, there exists a hidden structure that moves to complement each other. This has been the goal of Philosophy and any other intellectual discipline to highlight this fundamental relationship.

Over the histories, the light of this truth has become brighter from the point of matter to the metaphysics of Being. Dr. Jacob Brownoski (1973) gives an insight into the Physics and Chemistry of metals, fire and other phenomena of Natural Philosophy. The brilliant scholar lays bare the facts of the scientific antiquity and the modern resonance. Alchemy features quite keenly in the musings of the intellect. It is as if by this ludicrous attempt to sublimate other metals into gold was a divine act, today the post-modern alchemy is technology. Intriguingly, the progenitor of inorganic chemistry, alchemy can be seen as man’s attempt to sublimate himself into the divine. This was prominent in the 21st century as evidenced by the astronomical leaps humans have made in technology and general knowledge. The constant tussle between materialism and transcendentalism is the highlight of post-modern culture. Whether it is religion or New-Agean speculation, the Epicurean displays of post-modern humans is a display of anthropological arrogance if not tempered. The elusive golden hidden structure remains a dreamed affair because the world is full of dross that precludes us from purely understanding this structure.

Post-modern society symbolizes the rushing flow of existence and the heights of human accomplishment. It is as if the ultimate progression of man is with his sublimation or transmutation into the realm of metaphysics, aptly, the divine. The rate of knowledge produced today is rather staggering, literally by the second than any other time in history. Introspectively, it would not be a spurious presumption to suppose that life seems to be rushing to its end. In fact, the supposition of the infinite nature of knowledge still holds true. Therefore, the logical musings would infer that the idea of the resting place of humans would be set in metaphysics. Scientifically, this supposition holds firm, essentially when it can be described as the end of scientific-matter. Ultimately, it seems logically possible that scientific investigations into Matter would cease at the height of extreme materialism. Then, does man allow himself to transmute into the embrace of metaphysics.

The hidden structure in post-modern society tethers to the concept of time. Time ever grows thin in contemporary times. Almost every observant person would agree that time appears to move faster in modern times. Reflectively, this would be accorded to the notion that the speed of progress creates the illusion of the faster movement of time. Whatever theory one subscribes to, the pertinence cannot be disregarded. Whether it is in classical mechanics, to modern quantum physics or the nuances of philosophy, quantum leaps in technology, the hidden structure lends to its form. The hidden structure reveals in contemporary science and philosophy gives a hint of the coming sublimation of man (THROUGH the creative and adaptive manipulation of Technology). Nevertheless, the light of truth grows ever brighter in the affairs of humans.

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