Forever For All: Moral Philosophy, Cryonics, and the Scientific Prospects for Immortality
by: R. Michael Perry
Topics include:
Jim Halperin, author of The Truth Machine and The First Immortal
"A rational and thorough exploration of human potential... [Mike Perry] shares his vision with eloquence."
From the Publisher
This book considers the problems of death and the hereafter and how these ages-old problems ought to be addressed in light of our continuing progress. A materialistic viewpoint of reality is assumed, denying the likelihood of supernatural or other superhuman assistance. Death, however, is not seen as inevitable or even irreversible; it is maintained that the problem can and should be addressed scientifically in all of its aspects. The book thus follows recent, immortalist thinking that places hopes in future advances in our understanding and technology. A functionalist, reductionist argument is developed for the possibility of resurrecting the dead through the eventual creation of replicas and related constructs. Meanwhile, it is urged, medical advances leading to the conquest of biological death should be pursued, along with cryonics: freezing the newly deceased for possible, eventual reanimation. A common ground thus is sought between two hitherto largely independent strands of scientific immortalism, the one based on hopes in a remote but hyperadvanced future, the other on the nearer-term prospects of presently advancing technology. The resulting philosophy, encompassing both past and future, is directed toward the long-term interests of each sentient being, and it thereby acquires a moral dimension. The immortalization of humans and other life-forms is seen as a great moral project and labor of love that will unite us in a common cause and provide a meaningful destiny.
About the Author
Michael Perry has a Ph. D. in computer science and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he works for Alcor Foundation, an organization that freezes people for possible later reanimation.
Reviews:
Worth Reading....But Not Enough to Save You? If you buy this book, I strongly suggest a companion volume THE IMMORTALIST MANIFESTO by Elixxir. It goes beyond what R. Michael Perry has done in this book. Instead of putting most of our eggs into the Cryonics (i.e. freezing) basket, THE IMMORTALIST MANFIESTO, in stirring minimalist prose, provides a most compelling vision of the coming Immortalist Society, and how it will arrive. And it argues that the anti-aging life-extension breakthroughs are not likely to come in time for most of us, especially baby boomers, unless there is an Immortalist Movement powerful enough to make such breakthroughs happen soon.
Great source of immortalist information with some overload
Large part of this book is an argument, that present human beings may already be immortal by their very nature. Two basic assumtions are made, which the Author calls unboundedness and interchangeability. They amount to a many worlds multiverse (Everett Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics) and a pattern theory of identity, which should lead to abundance of all patterns and thus immortality of all persons without further saying. Yet somewhat half of the book is focused on working out the details.
For myself, being a more down-to-earth immortalist, this part was quite hard to get through and I must admit that I even left out some pages. The assumtion of personal interchangeability I find especially hard to accept. For an argument how it leads itself astray see John Perry's short but comprehensive "Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality" (Hackett).
It must be mentioned to the author's favor that he keeps on reminding us that his basic assumtions are to be regarded as working hypothesis, which need reconsidering when more information will be available.
Thus I was mainly interested in the second part which, after considering our motives to strife for eternal life, provides an extensive investigation of today's scientific prospects for immortality. Discussion ranges from such technical topics as cryonics, biochemical anti-aging research, nanotechnology, computer science and brain-computer interfacing to ethical and psychological ones the like free will, personal responsibility, gaming theory, dangers of Nietzschean eternal return, personal identity, memory problems, theology and more.
For the widespread opposition or indifference towards immortalism, a powerful memetic/genetic explanation is provided and possible counterstrategies are pointed at. The book helps the already convinced immortalist to develop his own moral standpoint, as well as it may introduce and fascinate the skeptic. We are called for an active stance in bringing about what many do not dare dream of.
All in all, overlooking the lengthy and not always really productive discussions in the first half, for the most comprehensive summary of today's immortalist thought and a beautiful read: Five Stars !
One of the most information-rich books ever published on an obscure subject. A subject that has normally dealt with by mystics, or cast aside by cynics. A splendid companion to Frank Tipler's Physics of Immortality, David Deutsch's Fabric of Reality, and Hans Moravec's Mind Children, and Robot, and Julian Barbour's "The End of Time", and also the papers of Max Tegmark. The work deals with the subject of post mortem survival from two basic angles. The first is his involvement with cryo-preservation as a pssible means of medical restoration of life. The other, and in my opinion, more profound avenue; is Perry's investigation of the Cosmological potentiallities that exist in physics and the burgeoning capabilities of computation. Also, R. Michael Perry examines what many thinkers from different disciplines regard as what is being preserved or reconstitued; what is your identity, what is your personality, what is the sense of self, that we all seem to know, but find difficult to precisely, define? Perry also focuses on the works of several physicists who dwell upon the possibilities of Multiple Universes-what the author calls "Unboundedness". This is just like Physicist, Julian Barbor's Platonia, in which all logically possible universes may indeed occur! Perry continues with and examination of Good and Evil and what is preserved, and what is remidied. My only caveat, for this book is to those of religious bent who require "scripture" for their emotional needs. R. Michael Perry is a logical positivist, and is atheistic in direction. Yet, I for one, can see this as a plus, because if the author can explore and define possibilities for post-mortem survival; then "God" as the ultimate Mind in existence is practically a given--providing enormous amounts of time for the development of minds and mind that are trans-universal! As I mentioned before, Perry works at one of the few cryo-preservation labs in the world, do if you need more information on cryo-preservation; or Biostasis, as the author terms it, this is an excellent source of data regarding this. I myself find the "cosmological" areas of the book much more compelling; since much of the biostatsis work seems at this point, in need of much greater research. The work is a work of an essay into philosophy as much as it is a work of science and sdvocacy. I am glad I purchased it, because good news, even as a bit of purely materialist, good news, this is not a thing to turn down (you can't anyway!). The old phrase; "all this and Heaven too", comes to mind. Worth the bucks, in this reader's opinion.