jd_pressman: rationalism thrived on hard sci-fi utopianism, died of fear
jd_pressman · x · 2026-11-11
jdpressman argues that rat culture outlasted other forms of New Atheism and transhumanism because it was grounded in hard sci-fi rather than scientism — a positive, affirmative belief in a utopian immortalist future that was lost by failing to reaffirm it. Pushing back on claims that the community "abrogated its responsibility," he says that moralistic framing is unfair: they did more than anyone, but let fear dominate their imagination, and scolding won't fix that.
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