Extropianism

Extropianism is a transhumanist philosophy characterized by a set of principles regarding extropy, initially defined by Max More in The Principles of Extropy. Extropianism places strong emphasis on rational thinking, on promoting open society, and on practical optimism.

Extropy, coined by T.O. Morrow in January 1988, is defined as the extent of a living or organizational system's intelligence, functional order, vitality, energy, life, experience, and capacity and drive for improvement and growth. Extropy expresses a metaphor, rather than serving as a technical term, and so is not simply the opposite of entropy.

According to More, these principles "do not specify particular beliefs, technologies, or policies". Extropianism shares the beliefs of its parent philosophy, transhumanism, and many extropians believe in the technological singularity. Extropianism supports an optimistic view of the future, expecting considerable advances in computational power, life expectancy, nanotechnology and the like. Many extropians believe in the eventual realization of unlimited lifespans and resurrection (for those preserved by means of cryonics) by technological means.

A magazine entitled Extropy was published by More and Morrow between 1988 and 1996. Seventeen issues were printed during the publication's eight-year run.