Zoltan Istvan

Zoltan Istvan

Zoltan Istvan biography picture
Born 1973
Los Angeles, California, United States
Residence San Francisco
Nationality American
Education Columbia University
Notable work The Transhumanist Wager
Political party
 Transhumanist Party
Religion Atheism
Spouse(s) Married

Zoltan Istvan is an American writer,[1] futurist,[2] philosopher and transhumanist.[3] He writes transhumanist-themed columns: "The Transhumanist Philosopher" for Psychology Today[4] and "Transhumanist Future" for Vice's Motherboard. He has also worked as a reporter for the National Geographic Channel[5] and is a blogger of futurist, transhumanist, and atheist topics for The Huffington Post.[6]

He is the author of The Transhumanist Wager, a philosophical science fiction novel.[7][8]

In late 2014, he announced his intent to run as a 2016 U.S. Presidential candidate under the newly formed Transhumanist Party.[9]

Career

Early career

At the age of 21, Istvan began a solo, multi-year sailing journey around the world. His main cargo was 500 handpicked books, mostly classics.[10] He's explored over 100 countries—many as a journalist for the National Geographic Channel—writing, filming, and appearing in dozens of television stories, articles, and webcasts.[11][12] His writings have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle,[13] Outside,[14] and The Daily Caller,[15] among others. His work has been covered in The Huffington Post[16] among others as well.

Istvan's coverage of the war in Kashmir was made into an award-winning documentary Pawns of Paradise,[17] distributed by Janson Media. Australia's The Age has acquired nonexclusive Australian rights to the show.[18]

Istvan pioneered and popularized the extreme sport of volcano boarding. He is sometimes called the inventor of the sport.[19][20][21]

Istvan was a director for the international conservation group WildAid, helping armed patrol units stop the billion-dollar illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia.[22]

Istvan started various businesses, from real estate development to filmmaking to viticulture, joining them under ZI Ventures.

Futurist career

After publishing The Transhumanist Wager, Istvan began actively promoting transhumanism and other futurist issues via speeches, media interviews, activism, and his writings.[23][24]

Istvan's writings and ideas on transhumanism, philosophy, atheism, and futurist issues have been featured in Yahoo News, The Daily Telegraph,[25] Huffington Post UK,[26] The Daily Beast,[27] Business Insider,[28] and other media sites. Istvan and his ideas have been featured on Fox News Channel's Stossel show,[29] CNN's Inside Man, RT's television show Desde La Sombra,[30] and the Joe Rogan Experience.[31] Istvan has also written for Gizmodo,[32] Singularity University's Singularity Hub,[33] and Slate.[34]

Istvan is a member of the World Future Society, a volunteer Ambassador for The Seasteading Institute,[35] an advisory board member of the India Future Society,[36] a member of the Young Professionals, an advisory board member of A-Team for Wildlife,[37] and is on the Futurist and Space Settlement boards of the Lifeboat Foundation.[38]

He regularly gives talks on futurist and transhumanist topics, which include speeches at the World Future Society's annual conference,[39] Transhuman Visions in San Francisco,[40] Brighter Brain's Future of Emotional Health and Intelligence Conference at University of California, Berkeley,[41] and TEDxTransmedia in Geneva, Switzerland.[42][43]

Political career

In October 2014, Istvan announced that he will run for U.S. President for the political organization he founded called the Transhumanist Party.[44]

Istvan is the founder of the Transhumanist Party, a newly founded US political party that is centered on the idea of transhumanism, including the political focus of science, medicine, and technology to enhance the human species.[45][46][47] From a political perspective, Istvan claims that the purpose of the Transhumanist Party is to spread transhumanism as broadly as possible into American life, so that US citizens may live longer, healthier, and happier lives using the benefits of science and technology.[48][49][50] Istvan created The Transhumanist Party with the aim to create a national platform that transhumanists can use to effectively run for various political offices in America.[51][52]

Internationally, the Transhumanist Party and Istvan aim to help foster other transhumanist organizations and is active in humanitarian outreach programs.[53] Transhumanist writer and former University of Texas professor, John G. Messerly, on the subject of the Transhumanist Party, wrote "I thus applaud Istvan's potential foray into politics and I think we should support him."[54] Critics, however, including some transhumanists, have questioned whether the Transhumanist Party adds value to the overall goals of transhumanism.[55][56]

The Transhumanist Wager, TEF, and Istvan's Three Laws of Transhumanism

Istvan's novel The Transhumanist Wager introduces the philosophy TEF (Teleological Egocentric Functionalism), his Three Laws of Transhumanism, and the concept of individuals making a Transhumanist Wager.[57][58] Istvan's explanation of the logic of TEF is:

"TEF is predicated on logic, a simple wager that every human faces:

If a reasoning human being loves and values life, they will want to live as long as possible—the desire to be immortal. Nevertheless, it's impossible to know if they're going to be immortal once they die. To do nothing doesn't help the odds of attaining immortality—since it seems evident that everyone will die someday and possibly cease to exist. To try to do something scientifically constructive towards ensuring immortality beforehand is the most logical conclusion."

Istvan's Three Laws of Transhumanism are:

  1. A transhumanist must safeguard one's own existence above all else.
  2. A transhumanist must strive to achieve omnipotence as expediently as possible—so long as one's actions do not conflict with the First Law.
  3. A transhumanist must safeguard value in the universe—so long as one's actions do not conflict with the First and Second Laws.

Istvan states that in the 21st Century, everyone faces a Transhumanist Wager.[59]

Personal life

Istvan is a philosophy and religious studies graduate of Columbia University and resides in San Francisco with his daughters and physician wife.[60] He identifies as an atheist.[61]

In February 2015 he helped launch BiZoHa, the world’s first ‘free-thinker’ orphanage, in Mukhoya Kasese district, western Uganda. Istvan’s article on the topic in MotherboardVICE article, generated $5,820 in 29 hours to provide funding for the orphanage

References

  1. ↑ Bartlett, Jamie (April 3, 2014). "'Transhumanists' are planning to upload your mind to a memory stick…". The Telegraph. Retrieved September 6, 2014. Zoltan Istvan – a prominent Transhumanist writer – reckons functioning robotic limbs are only a decade away.
  2. ↑ Anonymous (August 28, 2014). "Artificial womb technology would allow men to give birth". News.com.au. Retrieved September 9, 2014. The ectogenesis technology itself is highly complicated, though somewhat simple looking, futurist and journalist Zoltan Istvan writes in the Motherboard online science magazine.
  3. ↑ Istvan, Zoltan (August 14, 2014). "It's time to consider restricting human breeding". Wired.co.uk. Retrieved September 9, 2014. Zoltan Istvan is a futurist, philosopher, journalist, and transhumanist.
  4. ↑ Istvan, Zoltan, The Transhumanist Philosopher. Psychology Today. Retrieved 13 March 2015
  5. ↑ "Writing & Photography Assignments". ZI Ventures. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Zoltan Istvan". The Huffington Post. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  7. ↑ Istvan, Zoltan (2013). The Transhumanist Wager. Futurity Imagine Media. ISBN 0988616114.
  8. ↑ "Transhumanist novel by Zoltan Istvan sparks intense dialog among futurists". MarinIJ.com. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  9. ↑ "The Transhumanist Party's Presidential Candidate On the Future of Politics". Motherboard.
  10. ↑ "Lightening ship gets personal after grounding". Oceannavigator.com. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  11. ↑ "National Geographic Search". National Geographic. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  12. ↑ "The Transhumanist Wager". Gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  13. ↑ "FARFLUNG CORRESPONDENTS / Travel! Intrigue! Cannibals! / Extreme journalism at far ends of Earth". SFGate.
  14. ↑ "Cordon Green".
  15. ↑ Istvan, Zoltan (14 January 2010). "Marijuana crop could bring cash to California’s next Napa". The Daily Caller. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  16. ↑ "In Vanuatu, Islanders Literally Jump into Manhood (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Filmmaker Courts Danger to Document Longest Running Conflict in History". Janson.com. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Watch Pawns of Paradise Online – theage.tv". theage.tv. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Volcano Boarding: the New Extreme Sport". YouTube. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Reporter's Notebook: Surfing the Volcano". Nationalgeographic.com. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  21. ↑ "EXTREME SPORTS / Really Good Pumice, Dude! / Volcano boarding: Russian roulette on a snowboard". SFGate. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  22. ↑ "elephantcambodia". Istvanmedia.com. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Fireside Chat with Zoltan Istvan – Author of "The Transhumanist Wager"". RetirementSingularity.com. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  24. ↑ "SERIOUS WONDER – Zoltan Istvan: The Transhumanist Wager – SERIOUS WONDER". SERIOUS WONDER. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Zoltan Istvan – Telegraph Blogs". Technology – Telegraph Blogs. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Artificial Womb and the Human Society: When Science Will Create New Grow-Homes for Babies". The Huffington Post UK. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  27. ↑ "The Artificial Womb Will Change Feminism Forever". The Daily Beast. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  28. ↑ "Jamie Bartlett On Transhumanism - Business Insider". Business Insider. November 25, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Stossel 06/19/2014: New World Inventions". Fox Business. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Desde la sombra (E81). El sueño de la razón, ¿produciría monstruos?". RT en Español. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  31. ↑ The Uprising Creative. "Joe Rogan (Podcast Site)". Joe Rogan (Podcast Site).
  32. ↑ Zoltan Istvan. "When Superintelligent AI Arrives, Will Religions Try to Convert It?". Gizmodo. Gawker Media.
  33. ↑ "Which New Technology Will Win the Race to Repair and Replace Our Organs?". Singularity HUB.
  34. ↑ "Zoltan Istvan". Slate Magazine.
  35. ↑ "Ambassadors – The Seasteading Institute". The Seasteading Institute. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Our Team – India Future Society". India Future Society. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  37. ↑ "Advisory Council Archives – A-Team for Wildlife". A-Team for Wildlife. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  38. ↑ Zoltan Istvan. "Zoltan Istvan". Lifeboat Foundation. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Everyone Faces a Transhumanist Wager". Wfs.org. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  40. ↑ Hank Pellissier (November 22, 2013). "Transhuman Visions: February 1, 2014 San Francisco Conference Almost Sold Out". Singularity Weblog. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  41. ↑ "Brighter Brains". Brighterbrains.org. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  42. ↑ "A TEDx Talk on Beauty and Life Extension Science". The Huffington Post.
  43. ↑ "A TEDx Talk Celebrating Scientists and Exploring the Technological Future of Beauty". The Huffington Post.
  44. ↑ "Should a Transhumanist Run for US President?". Huffington Post. October 8, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  45. ↑ "Zoltan Istvan plans a courageous transhuman political surge". Immortal Life. October 9, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  46. ↑ "Zoltan Istvan to Run for President as Candidate of the Transhumanist Party". Independent Political Report. November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  47. ↑ "Transhumanism Grew Rapidly in 2014". Psychology Today. December 30, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  48. ↑ "The Transhumanist Party Announces Their 2016 Presidential Candidate". Giant Freakin Robot. October 8, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  49. ↑ "The Transhumanist Party". All Transhumanism.
  50. ↑ "An Interview with Zoltan Istvan, Founder of the Transhumanist Party and 2016 U.S. Presidential Candidate". The Litost Publishing Collective. November 23, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  51. ↑ "An interview with Zoltan Istvan, leader of the Transhumanist Party and 2016 presidential contender". ExtremeTech. October 31, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  52. ↑ "Der Spitzenkandidat der Transhumanistischen Partei USA bläst zum Wahlkampf". WIRED Germany.
  53. ↑ "Transhumanist Party co-partners with BBI & MTA to support Uganda AIDS Orphans via Carpentry Workshop". Brighter Brains. November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  54. ↑ "h+ Magazine – The Transhumanist Party: Could It Change Our Future?". h+ Magazine. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  55. ↑ "Run, don't Hide !". transhumanity.net. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  56. ↑ Truman Chen (December 15, 2014). "The Political Vacuity of Transhumanism". Stanford Political Journal. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  57. ↑ "ThePhilosophy". Transhumanistwager.com. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  58. ↑ "Book Review: The Transhumanist Wager, by Zoltan Istvan". Ieet.org. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  59. ↑ "Everyone Faces a Transhumanist Wager". Wfs.org. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  60. ↑ "Transhumanist novel by Zoltan Istvan sparks intense dialog among futurists". MarinIJ.com. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  61. ↑ Istvan, Zoltan (December 5, 2013). "I'm an Atheist, Therefore I'm a Transhumanist". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 13, 2015.

External links