On Sunday, January 1, 2023, at 1 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time, watch this stream of classic presentations by Gennady Stolyarov II from 2011-2015 on the importance of rational philosophy and why empirical science cannot wholly substitute for it, the secular foundations of objective morality, and the case for free will and individual self-determination (subject to physical constraints that may be relaxed or overcome through the progress of science and technology). Tune in and take part in the live chat. There will be a short musical portion at the end, where you can listen to two new recordings of Mr. Stolyarov’s compositions, remastered by Jason Geringer (Dawn of the New Renaissance, Op. 21, and Minuet #7, Op. 75). - No Delight in Mystery – January 18, 2011 Many people erroneously hold the mindset that mystery – the lack of knowledge of the workings of a particular process – is the source of awe and wonder, and that solving the mystery "takes the fun" or "takes the wonder" out of the world. Mr. Stolyarov emphatically disagrees. Using logic and reason to solve mysteries is truly a practice that can bring about an appreciation of beauty and awe – not only for what is, but for what human beings can accomplish. - Transcending the Nature/Nurture Debate – January 30, 2011 Mr. Stolyarov challenges both sides of the conventional, age-old "nature" versus "nurture" debate. Both genetic determinism and environmental determinism are highly simplistic and false. Moreover, determinism regarding human beings is false altogether. Mr. Stolyarov argues that the nature/nurture debate should be transcended via an understanding that free will and choice place an individual in control of his destiny. While Mr. Stolyarov does not present any simple, generalized answers, he does urge for a recognition that human beings and their paths in life are much richer and more sophisticated than deterministic theories suggest. - Philosophy Lives - Contra Stephen Hawking – January 5, 2013 Mr. Stolyarov refutes Stephen Hawking's statement that "philosophy is dead." The assertion that the physical sciences can wholly replace philosophy is mistaken. Not only is philosophy able to address questions outside the scope of the physical sciences, but the coherence and validity of scientific approaches itself rests on a philosophical foundation that was not always taken for granted – and still is not in many circles. - Always Think! – May 6, 2013 Mr. Stolyarov explains why thinking is essential and indispensable for everyone; that includes you. He discusses the fundamental purpose of his videos - to cultivate a broadly oriented intellectual mindset among viewers, in an effort to further the progress and maintenance of human civilization. - Feedback Loops and Individual Self-Determination – November 18, 2013 Mr. Stolyarov explains his fondness for the concept of feedback loops and their relevance to the outcomes of individual lives, technological progress, and the course of human history. - Individualism, Objective Reality, and Open-Ended Knowledge – November 24, 2013 Mr. Stolyarov explains how an objective reality governed by physical laws is compatible with individual self-determination and indeed is required for individuals to meaningfully expand their lives and develop their unique identities. - Putting Randomness in Its Place – December 3, 2013 A widespread misunderstanding of the meaning of the term "randomness" often results in false generalizations made regarding reality. In particular, the view of randomness as metaphysical, rather than epistemological, is responsible for numerous commonplace fallacies. - Universal Physical and Moral Laws, With No Lawgiver – May 18, 2015 Mr. Stolyarov endeavors to refute the common argument that any law, be it a physical law or a law of morality or justice, requires a lawgiver – an intelligent entity that brought the law into being. While some laws (termed manmade or positive laws) do indeed have human lawmakers, a much more fundamental class of laws (termed universal or natural laws) arise not due to promulgation by any intelligent being, but rather due to the basic properties of the entities these laws concern, and the relations of those entities to one another. To the extent that positive laws are enacted by humans, the purpose of such positive laws should be to reflect and effectuate the beneficial consequences of objectively valid natural laws. Join the U.S. Transhumanist Party for free, no matter where you reside: https://transhumanist-party.org/membership #RationalPhilosophy #ObjectiveMorality #FreeWill #Individualism #SelfDetermination #USTranshumanistParty #VirtualEnlightenmentSalon #USTP #Ethics ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ7pMrSOTCc

One of the most grievous errors made by most people in the Western world today can be found in the prevailing view of happiness as constant pleasure or euphoria. This vision of happiness is not only unattainable but destructive of genuine happiness. A much more realistic and satisfying understanding of happiness can be found by combining the insights of Classical Aristotelian and Enlightenment philosophers and applying them to the vast opportunities we have in our time. "A Rational View of Love" - Essay by G. Stolyarov II: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1644446/a_rational_view_of_love.html?cat=9 Prior videos in this series: Commonly Misunderstood Concepts: Education: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKbDSEKBn-I Commonly Misunderstood Concepts: Health Care: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrPUN6ULFgc Commonly Misunderstood Concepts: Wealth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWXP_jCmYfU Commonly Misunderstood Concepts: Employment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBCcXw5EX2A Sincerely, Gennady Stolyarov II Editor-in-Chief, The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com Writer, Associated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/46796/g_stolyarov_ii.html Author, Implied Consent, A Play on the Sanctity of Human Life: http://rationalargumentator.com/impliedconsent.html Author, A Rational Cosmology: http://rationalargumentator.com/rc.html Author, The Best Self-Help is Free: http://rationalargumentator.com/selfhelpfree.html Author, The Progress of Liberty Blog: http://progressofliberty.today.com/ Attribution for Visuals Used: Note: All the visuals which receive attribution were published under a GNU Free Documentation License or a Creative Commons License, and so may be legitimately reproduced provided that the source and creator are credited. Any content having these licenses is hereby reproduced under the same licenses as the originals. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aristotelesbunt.jpg by Kolja Mendler http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ray_Kurzweil.jpg by Ed Schipul http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burt_Rutan_cropped.JPG by the Wirral Rocketry Society http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_couple.jpg by David http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pyschoactive_Drugs.jpg by Thoric http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cherry_cordial.jpg by bobamnertiopsis http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chocolates_and_cookies.jpg by Eric McGregor http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pisang.jpg by Hariadhi http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tobacco-ashes.jpg by Acracia http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hostess_twinkies.jpg by Larry D. Moore http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hoennetal_hoehle1.jpg by Weissmann http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hold_my_hand.jpg by Elizabeth Ann Colette http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hurdles_Bislett_Games_2008.jpg by Ragnar Singsaas http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Light_switch_without_paneling.JPG by BrokenSphere ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SXtb84WDEU

In this interactive question-and-answer session, which occurred at 1 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time on Saturday, October 21, 2017, U.S. Transhumanist Party Officers provided an updated view of the Transhumanist Party’s projects, operations, and achievements, in response to audience questions. Because October is Longevity Month, this Q&A session had a life-extension theme but also delved into various other areas, including how to address conspiracy theories and various approaches toward diet, nutrition, and cultural norms regarding food consumption. The following U.S. Transhumanist Party Officers took part in this Q&A session: - Gennady Stolyarov II, Chairman - Martin van der Kroon, Director of Recruitment - Sean Singh, Director of Applied Innovation - B.J. Murphy, Director of Social Media The YouTube question/comment chat for this Q&A session has been archived at http://transhumanist-party.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/USTP_QA_Chat_10-21-2017.png Visit the U.S. Transhumanist Party Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/USTranshumanistParty/ Learn more about the U.S. Transhumanist Party: http://transhumanist-party.org/ See the U.S. Transhumanist Party FAQ at http://transhumanist-party.org/faq/ Become a member of the U.S. Transhumanist Party for free, no matter where you reside: https://goo.gl/forms/IpUjooEZjnfOFUMi2 Become a Foreign Ambassador for the U.S. Transhumanist Party: https://goo.gl/forms/430kp31F0D6VmXFc2 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNY2R6QdPP4

Even after SOPA/PROTECT IP's demise, assaults on the Internet in its present form have continued on a variety of fronts. Some of these assaults are in the form of legislation, while others are deployed by nominally private entities that in fact thrive on political connections and special privileges. These attempts would limit harmless individual expression and create the presumption of guilt with respect to online activity -- quashing that activity until the accused can demonstrate his innocence. Mr. Stolyarov focuses on four of these assaults: H.R. 3523 - the dubiously named Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), NSA surveillance, ISP/trade-association cooperation, and Arizona's House Bill 2549. Remember to LIKE, FAVORITE, and SHARE this video in order to spread rational discourse on this issue. Support these video-creation efforts by donating at The Rational Argumentator: http://rationalargumentator.com/index.html References: - "A Barrage of Assaults on Internet Freedom" - Essay by G. Stolyarov II - http://www.rationalargumentator.com/index/blog/2012/04/assaults-internet-freedom/ - "Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act" - Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_Intelligence_Sharing_and_Protection_Act - "Stop Online Piracy Act" - Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_online_piracy_act - "PROTECT IP Act" - Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PROTECT_IP_Act - "The NSA Is Building the Country's Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say)" - James Bamford - Wired Magazine - March 15, 2012 - http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/all/1 - "NSA vs USA: Total surveillance zooms-in on Americans" - Video from RT - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sStd-fMa2ic - "RIAA chief: ISPs to start policing copyright by July 1"- Greg Sandoval - cNet - March 14, 2012 - http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-57397452-261/riaa-chief-isps-to-start-policing-copyright-by-july-1/?tag=mncol;topStories - "American ISPs to launch massive copyright spying scheme on July 12" - Stephen C. Webster - Raw Story - March 15, 2012 - http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/15/american-isps-to-launch-massive-copyright-spying-scheme-on-july-12/ - "US ranked 26th in global Internet speed, South Korea number one" - Shawn Knight - TechSpot - September 21, 2011 - http://www.techspot.com/news/45566-us-ranked-26th-in-global-internet-speed-south-korea-number-one.html - "Arizona bill could criminalize Internet trolling" - Chris Morris - Yahoo! Games - April 3, 2012 - http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/arizona-bill-could-criminalize-internet-trolling-184547052.html - "Arizona Wants to Outlaw Trolling by Banning 'Annoying' Comments" - Paul Lilly - Maximum PC - April 5, 2012 - http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/arizona_wan ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWw1fbk0qmQ