Pandaemonium Architecture 6.0

In this course

Julian Huxley was a mid-twentieth-century biologist and humanist who articulated evolution not merely as scientific theory but as a comprehensive worldview—what the readings frame as "cosmic evolution" extending from physical through biological to cultural domains. The course draws on Huxley's conceptual architecture to argue that evolution functions as a governing principle bridging natural science and human culture, enabling discussions of how posthuman and extraterrestrial intelligence might represent further endpoints in this cosmic evolutionary trajectory. His synthesis of biology with humanistic philosophy provides crucial scaffolding for understanding how AI and artificial systems might be positioned within larger evolutionary narratives that the course interrogates.

Mentioned in 2 readings

Steven J. Dick

Cosmic Evolution from Cosmos and Culture

6

When and how did astronomers and biologists come to believe in cosmic evolution as a guiding principle for their work, and how did it become a serious research program? In her pioneering book, Unifying Biology: The Evolutionary Synthesis an…Since Darwin propounded his theory of evolution by natural selection, evolution has been much more than a science. It has been a worldview that has affected culture in numerous ways, and different cultures in diverse ways.[^23] As we have n…In short, both in our relationship with extraterrestrials and with God—however conceived—human destiny would be quite different in a universe full of biologicals or postbiologicals than if we were alone. If extraterrestrial intelligence is …

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Timnit Gebru and Émile P. Torres

The TESCREAL bundle: Eugenics and the promise of utopia through artificial general intelligence

5

Transhumanism and Extropianism. We begin our discussion with transhumanism, a version of second-wave eugenics that affirms the feasibility and desirability of radical “human enhancement.” The word “transhumanism” may have been coined in 194…Transhumanism and Extropianism. We begin our discussion with transhumanism, a version of second-wave eugenics that affirms the feasibility and desirability of radical “human enhancement.” The word “transhumanism” may have been coined in 194…Longtermism was born when EAs reasoned: If our aim is to do the most good possible, and if the future could contain astronomical amounts of “value,” then we should focus on the far future rather than the present (Greaves and MacAskill, 2019…

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