Customer Reviews

Forever for All: Moral Philosophy, Cryonics, and the Scientific Prospects for Immortality

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
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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.

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 !

Forever For All is one of the most important philosophy and religion texts ever written. It is a, very well written, comprehensive disscusion of the promise and impications of the rapidy developing advances being made in science and technology and offers both hope, and guidance for the immenent singularity, and the more distant future in which we will all, eventually, live. Perry discusses, in non-technical language, the scientific evidence for and long term implicatons of the many worlds multiverse (Everett Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics), as well as more immediate developements in biostasis (cryonics), computation, nanotechnology and how these and other scientific developements correspond to and even affirm traditional religious concepts like immortality and the ressurection of the dead, heretofore taken on faith or intuition. This is the real deal!

Peter H. Christiansen M.Div.
Former Senior Minister
First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles
Mt Diablo (Walnut Creek CA) Unitarian Universalist Church

This inspiring work opens with: "The individual ought to endure-for a life rightly lived is never rightly ended. And life can be rightly lived, I will maintain-which involves much more than a simple release from pain or burdens. Rightly lived, life must offer positive value, a preponderance of satisfaction over dissatisfaction,[1] a meaningful experience that calls for something beyond immediate interests. There must be a growth process in which the prospect of constructive change and the mysteries to be solved are inducements to continue and progress. Living can then become an end in itself, as it should be, and we can shape our philosophy accordingly: Life is fundamentally good, and death, consequently, is a detriment. We can look forward, with joy, to a future with joy. Ongoing developments lend support to this position and call for a reassessment of life's deeper issues."

To say Dr. Perry's book expands your mind is an understatement. As one who has been an atheist almost all my life, from early childhood, this is one of those rare intelligent, scientific journeys into such basic, human questions as "Who are We?", "Where we are going?", and "What we must accomplish before we get there"? It is both forward looking and optimistic. It leaves no intellectual stone unturned, no argument either pro or con unvisited. It's comprehensive, but never boring.

Every thinking person will find this a fascinating sojourn!

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.

Why read this book? It just might save your life.