Intergalactic Summit

Since the onset of the Empyrean Age in YC 105 capsuleers has had a drastic impact on New Eden society. They have lead to amazing discoveries and opportunities, but have also created immense destruction and serious social consequences. There are two main problems for the Empires of New Eden caused by capsuleers; that of the bleeding effect of capsuleers drain from the Empires and defection to the nulsec; as well as the resulting socio-economic effects of the emerging capsuleer post-human - human divide. I think the recent emergence of the ‘alpha’ clone state could go some way to addressing some of these problems.

Capsuleer Drain: Despite the Empires attempts to keep capsuleers on a tight leash they are increasingly becoming ever more independent, especially those graduating from private institutions more so than in military service. While many of these ‘freelance’ capsuleers still work within Empires and still contribute to their economies and industries, their activity has become largely self-controlled. However while a large bulk of capsuleers continue to work for their respective homelands in one way or another, many ‘rogue capsuleers’, preferring a lifestyle of freedom and potentially unlimited power are setting up their own corporate ‘nation-states’ on the null security fringes of Empire controlled space, rapidly increasing their own power and influence throughout New Eden. They are setting up their own rogue cloning stations which further facilitate the bleeding effect of capsuleer drain from the Empires. In doing so they are setting themselves up as potential challenges to the authority and security of the older empires.

Socio-economic effects: The emerging human enhancement technologies are disproportionately available to those with greater financial resources, and in the case of capusleers genetics, thereby exacerbating the gap between rich and poor and furthering a genetic, physical and cognitive “transhumanist divide”. This is resulting in a two-tiered society of enhanced transhuman “haves” and average human “have nots”. If social democratic reforms lag behind implementation of enhancement technologies things can only get more unequal.

Alpha clone capsuleers are a possible answer to both the bleeding effect of capsuleer drain from the empires to nullsec space; as well as potentially address the widening transhumanist gap between capsuleers and regular people. Alpha clones look to be an attempt to strengthen the Empires control over capsuleers. By restricting full use of implants and enhancements they are limit their abilities and attempt restrict them to Empire space, and keep their economic and industrial benefits. The Empires are also actively directing alpha clones into their capsuleer militias through dedicated sponsorship for military personnel and recruits, to lock them into Empire service. The Empire governments has already announced that Alpha Clones will be subject to a small manufacturing tax applied to industry jobs in an attempt to buffer current industrialists from the alpha clone influxes effects on the economy and raise government revenue (this should be applied and expanded to capsuleers).

This development has drastically broaden the available capsuleer candidates due to the simpler requirements for alpha clone states. They have the potential to spread the benefits of technological progress much wider than the traditional capsuleer and spread the economic benefits of increased productivity to average citizens. The potential long term consequences of this technology in our capitalist system will result in current socio-economic inequalities being further exacerbated as enhancements create unfair physical and cognitive differences between the rich and poor. How the Empires handle this new development will determine the effect it will have on our average citizens and technologically based inequality. Alpha clones could have the potential to facilitate the emergence of a transhuman ‘middle class’ under the capsuleer elite and over the average person. The universal availability of alpha clone advancements for all eligible citizens (and possibly all people with further advances) could be a powerful tool in reversing the emerging capsuleer ‘overclass’ elite and the posthuman – human divide. We should aim to use technology to improve the welfare of all human beings, not just those privileged by genetics and wealth.

(Summary of Gallente Humanist Society blog post: https://newedenhumanist.wordpress.com/2016/10/30/the-consequences-of-capsuleers/)

Para-humans.

The traditional definition of posthumanism is basically "a cyborg", and we have more than enough mechanical and electrical components to be called just that.
Transhumanism is traditionally defined as "beings whose basic capacities so radically exceed those of present humans as to be no longer unambiguously human by our current standards." With the ability to move our consciousness to another body and being able to learn things at an astonishing rate compared to the baseline humans, that criteria is also mostly fulfilled.

Unless of course you define these things somehow differently.

More like 0.001% given capsuleer numbers are counted in the millions compared to the trillions of the rest of humanity.

There is nothing wrong with that, some just have what it takes to be elite.

The problem with capsuleers, that without proper guidance and education, they easily fall to gallente propaganda, if they are being exposed to gallente media which is, unfortunately, still isn't banned outside of Federal space. These peoples start to believe that freedom and democracies might be good things and the worst of them even dare to fight for such inhuman ideals, without even tryint to think for themselves and realize that they become villains by trying to enforce freedom.

Just giving peoples power without controlling and educating them can lead to catastrophe.

Always remember. The knowledge is the best weapon against gallente propaganda.
And be vigilant.

That is a sad and dystopian outlook on life. As a Humanist i aspire to, and have a responsibility to work towards, the greater good and well-being of humanity as a whole. Technological advancement should be used for this purpose.

Among Empyreans I have seen the basest, most ignoble, cruelest, self-centered, prideful, and inhumane behaviors. The average Capsuleer is a bundle of greed, rage, and lust. Our power has not freed us of human shortcomings; only freed us from limitations on consuming to meet our appetites.

Capsuleers are the truest and most human of humans. Unfiltered, free, and not pretty at all. We are not post-Human. Just humans unbound, unchained, and unhinged.

Does ability to connect us to capsule make us cyborgs?

And we ourselves don't have any extra abilities than other humans. All our abilities appear from the equipment we use - hydrostatic capsules. It is capsules give us possibility to control ships. It is capsules that have burning scanners and can copy our consciouseness. Without these capsules we are just humans with holes in our backs.

The knowledge we learn just attunes our interface. Just run a simple experiment: inject a Gravitor physics skillbook and try to write down Dirac's equation. Have you ever thought about which muscles and in what consequence you contract in order to make a step? Does ability to walk give you understanding of anatomy and how your leg works? Imagine the God giving you a third leg and a skillbook will give you ability to move this leg like it was always yours.

Skills we learn look for me more like training to use our capsules rather than learning something. We learn when we make a terrible fit for a ship and lose it miserably.