Transhumanists see technology remaking humanity and defeating death

A new book examines Russian cosmism and Western transhumanism, movements that seek to improve humanity and overcome death through technology, Yle reports.

Evoluution herrat by Tapio Tamminen and Anssi Ylirönni explores Russian cosmism, a techno-utopian movement that influenced Russia and later the Soviet Union. The book is published by Momentum in 2026.

“Cosmism and transhumanism have had quite different ideas and goals, but both are united by the idea of taking control of evolution,” Ylirönni says.

Cosmists wanted to revive the dead

Russian cosmism is generally considered to have been founded by Nikolai Fyodorov, who lived from 1829 to 1903 and was also called the Socrates of Moscow.

Fyodorov sought to control nature, achieve human immortality and bring the dead back to life. He believed technology could make this possible. To prevent overpopulation, those brought back to life would live on other celestial bodies.

The atmosphere of upheaval in the Soviet Union during the 1920s fuelled both optimism about progress and interest in cosmism. The Amaravella art movement drew inspiration from the ideas.

Revolutionary artist Kazimir Malevich designed futuristic living spaces called planites, which would be built on other planets.

Doctor, philosopher and writer Aleksandr Bogdanov viewed old age as a disease caused by the systemic breakdown of the body. He believed blood transfusions might offer help. In his short stories, Bogdanov described a communist society on Mars where residents drew on blood transfusions for the vitality of youth.

The embalming of Vladimir Lenin, who died in 1924, has also been linked to cosmism. According to rumours, the Bolshevik leader’s body was preserved so that he could eventually be brought back to life.

“The contemporary cosmist Nikolai Setnitsky was completely certain that this was the reason,” Ylirönni says. Setnitsky himself proposed building a vast necropolis in Siberian permafrost, where people could be deep-frozen to await resurrection in the future.

Transhumanism takes evolution into its own hands

Russian cosmism emerged in the 19th century, while its Western counterpart, transhumanism, was formally introduced in the 1960s. The cryonics movement also emerged at that time, although its principles had already been outlined by Setnitsky in the 1920s.

Jani Moliis, a member of the Finnish Transhumanist Association, became interested in transhumanism in his twenties. The association was founded in 2003, and Moliis has been one of its leading figures from the beginning.

“It is natural for me to think that history and evolution have not ended. Humans are not in their final form, and it is possible to accelerate evolution through technology. That is the core of transhumanism,” Moliis says.

According to Moliis, transhumanist principles are strongly based on freedom of choice.

“Someone might want to see infrared light, for example, so why should they not be allowed to do so if technology makes it possible without any significant danger?” he says.

Moliis considers it logical and natural that future humans could combine modifications made through biotechnology and information technology. He does not believe human evolution will lead to a single final outcome.

“I suspect that future forms of existence will be characterised by diversification. They could also include consciousnesses formed by artificial intelligence,” he says.

In addition to cryonics, transhumanist interests include supercomputers, artificial intelligence, information theory, biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics and neuroscience.

Transhumanist artists include Neil Harbisson, Moon Ribas, Stelarc, Orlan and Natasha Vita-More. The concept of the machine-human, or cyborg, is also a central part of transhumanism.

Tamminen died before the book was completed, and most of the finished work was written by Ylirönni.