Humainism in a Post-Human, Trans-Human World

In a world of ever higher technology, some thinkers worry about the endurance of old humanist ideals. On top of the twentieth-century ideas of post-humanism in the modern world of big governments and big business, we now see more discussion in our Information Age about trans-humanism with the idea of a post-Singularity world in which there is no longer a meaningful distinction between humans and machines. This excerpt is part of an essay championing the old ideals of humanism. It is most likely a losing fight, but it is perhaps a fight worth having.

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Here is a humanist proposition for the age of Google: The processing of information is not the highest aim to which the human spirit can aspire, and neither is competitiveness in a global economy. The character of our society cannot be determined by engineers.

-- Leon Wiesseltier at The New York Times

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For a Child of 1918

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My grandfather said to me
as we sat on the wagon seat,
"Be sure to remember to always
speak to everyone you meet."

We met a stranger on foot.
My grandfather's whip tapped his hat.
"Good day, sir. Good day. A fine day."
And I said it and bowed where I sat.

Then we overtook a boy we knew
with his big pet crow on his shoulder.
"Always offer everyone a ride;
don't forget that when you get older,"

my grandfather said. So Willy
climbed up with us, but the crow
gave a "Caw!" and flew off. I was worried.
How would he know where to go?

But he flew a little way at a time
from fence post to fence post, ahead;
and when Willy whistled he answered.
"A fine bird," my grandfather said,

"and he's well brought up. See, he answers
nicely when he's spoken to.
Man or beast, that's good manners.
Be sure that you both always do."

When automobiles went by,
the dust hid the people's faces,
but we shouted "Good day! Good day!
Fine day!" at the top of our voices.

When we came to Hustler Hill,
he said that the mare was tired,
so we all got down and walked,
as our good manners required.

-- "For a Child of 1918" by Elizabeth Bishop

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I am impressed by the rhyme scheme: it takes off a lot of the pressure to rhyme throughout the poem, while remaining in high poetic form by keeping the pattern or meter fairly consistent along with the pattern of the rhyming lines. It feels like something I might want to play with.

The Natural World

Winter classic by Maxime Riendeau / 500px

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