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{{Featured article|Zoltan Istvan}}
[[File:Zoltan Istvan.jpg|right|thumb|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Party_(United_States) Transhumanist for <s>president</s> governor]]]
'''Zoltan Istvan''' is a writer, futurist and founder of the first [[Special:MyLanguage/Transhumanist Party|Transhumanist Party]] and former leader of the US [[Special:MyLanguage/Transhumanist Party (US political organization)|Transhumanist Party]] political organization. He is author of the 2013 book [[Special:MyLanguage/The Transhumanist Wager|The Transhumanist Wager]]. In 2017 Istvan announced his run for Californian Governor under Libertarian Party.<ref>http://www.newsweek.com/zoltan-istvan-california-governor-libertarian-555088</ref>

== Policies ==


=== Community support ===

[[File:Bi z.jpg|right|thumb|[https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=686506394856243&set=a.161095190730702.1073741826.100004906654490&type=3&theater Anti-death campaign drawing] of Zoltan and family by artist Felipe de Barros]]
He has supported a number of traditional transhumanist political positions, as well as some more emerging ones such as [[Special:MyLanguage/Transhumanism and drugs|drug legalisation]].<ref name="Future Grind">[https://futuregrind.org/podcast-episodes/zoltan Ep. 4 - US Presidential Candidate Zoltan Istvan]</ref>


=== Community controversies ===

Zoltan's political stance is hard to categorize and Zoltan admits<ref name="1on1">[https://www.singularityweblog.com/transhumanist-zoltan-istvan-on-his-presidential-campaign/ Transhumanist Zoltan Istvan on His Presidential Campaign]</ref> that his position has evolved over time. While many have judged him to have a [[Special:MyLanguage/libertarian transhumanism|libertarian background]], Zoltan is a self-proclaimed pragmatist and [[Special:MyLanguage/survivalist transhumanism|survivalist ]], saying he will advocate for whatever policies "will most quickly lead to indefinite [[Special:MyLanguage/life extension|life extension]]". In Zoltan's view, the correct policy mix includes large government investments in research and education, 'chips'<ref name=chips>[http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/presidential-candidate-suggests-we-microchip-syrian-refugees-7402602 Presidential Candidate Suggests We Microchip Syrian Refugees]</ref> that track the movement and economic transactions of each citizen, and some form of [[Special:MyLanguage/universal basic income|universal basic income]]. Zoltan's positions have been attacked strongly by transhumanists on both the left and right of the [[Special:MyLanguage/transhumanist politics|political spectrum]] for his authoritarian tendencies.

Particularly controversial politics within the transhumanist movement include:

* Open borders to refugees contingent on them accepting microchip tracking to combat terrorism<ref name=chips /> and parental tracking<ref>[https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1292761/us-navy-considers-plans-to-fit-humans-with-microchips-and-track-their-every-move/ Spy nation? US Navy ‘discussed plans to fit humans with microchips and track their every move]</ref><ref>https://www.facebook.com/TheTranshumanistWager/posts/672073179632898</ref> Similarly, tracking convicts with spy drones rather than prisons.<ref>[https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/lets-end-incarceration-and-just-have-drones-supervise-criminals Let's End Incarceration and Just Have Drones Supervise Criminals]</ref>
* Advocacy of [[Special:MyLanguage/cryothanasia|cryothanasia]], euthanasia by [[Special:MyLanguage/cryonics|cryonics]] for people both those with terminal conditions or even with severe disabilities.<ref>[http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/istvan20140605 How science and technology changes us: Cryonics]</ref><ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zoltan-istvan/should-cryonics-cryocide-_b_5518684.html Should Cryonics, Cryothanasia, and Transhumanism Be Part of the Euthanasia Debate?]</ref>
* Banning teaching religion to children<ref name="religionban">[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zoltan-istvan/some-atheists-and-transhu_b_5814484.html Some Atheists and Transhumanists are Asking: Should it be Illegal to Indoctrinate Kids With Religion?]</ref>
* Restricting reproduction due to misconceptions about [[Special:MyLanguage/life extension and overpopulation|life extension and overpopulation]].<ref>[http://www.wired.co.uk/article/time-to-restrict-human-breeding It's time to consider restricting human breeding]</ref> This was very poorly received indeed.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zoltan-istvan/death-threats-freedom-tra_b_5702987.html Death Threats, Freedom, Transhumanism, and the Future]</ref>


== Atheism ==

An increasingly controversial figure in the wider [[Special:MyLanguage/transhumanist community|transhumanist community]],<ref>[http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/transhumanists-disavow-zoltan-istvan-candidacy Transhumanists Disavow Zoltan Istvan Candidacy for US Presidency]</ref><ref>[http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/fuller20151019 What the Case of Zoltan Istvan Says about the State of Transhumanist Politics]</ref> his headline-grabbing policy ideas have sometimes placed him at odds with others. An unabashed [[Special:MyLanguage/Atheistic transhumanism|atheist]], Zoltan has written<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zoltan-istvan/an-atheists-perspective-o_b_6802140.html An Atheist's Perspective on the Rise of Christian Transhumanism]</ref> and lectured<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXOXBYr2Z7I "Transhumanism, Religion, and Atheism" by Zoltan Istvan ]</ref> about the relationship between religion and transhumanism. He has said<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyJJSB10su0 Transhumanism vs Religion - Zoltan Istvan]</ref> and written that religion is holding back science and the development of technologies, pointing to stem cell therapy as a specific example. These positions have caused great ire amongst religious transhumanists, many of whom see is anti-religious viewpoint as inextricably linked to his policy. For example, [[Special:MyLanguage/christian transhumanism|christian transhumanist]] [[Special:MyLanguage/Christopher Benek|Christopher Benek]] proclaimed "A Vote for The U.S. Transhumanist Party Presidential Candidate Is A Vote For Tyranny".<ref>[http://www.christopherbenek.com/?p=4417 A Vote for The U.S. Transhumanist Party Presidential Candidate Is A Vote For Tyranny]</ref> In March 2015 he described himself as a "atheistcideist", believing [[Special:MyLanguage/super intelligence|super intelligence]]-like God may have existed at one point, but probably ended its own existence to give free will to the universe.<ref>[http://motherboard.vice.com/read/do-we-have-free-will-because-god-killed-herself Do We Have Free Will Because God Killed Itself?]</ref>


== Political mobilisation ==

[[File:Zoltan THP Poster1.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Campaign poster from 2015.]]

Zoltan's platform has been criticised for closing membership, misrepresenting the party's legal status, individualist policy development and poor board communication.<ref>[http://transhumanity.net/15-question-zoltan-istvan-is-avoiding-why-what-are-the-answers-opinion/ 15 Question Zoltan Istvan is Avoiding – why? what are the answers? (opinion)]</ref>

In response to an impasse in community engagement with the strategy and vision of Zoltan's [[Special:MyLanguage/Transhumanist Party (US political organization)|Transhumanist Party]], the community-driven [[Special:MyLanguage/Transhuman National Committee|Transhuman National Committee of the United States]] was founded on the 5th of October 2015.<ref>[http://transhumanity.net/transhuman-national-committee-of-the-united-states/ Transhuman National Committee of the United States]</ref>

By October 12th the [[Special:MyLanguage/Transhumanist Party (UK)|UK Transhumanist Party]] released a statement that "Zoltan Istvan does not speak for the Transhumanist Party" in response to his failure to engage with the wider community and [[Special:MyLanguage/transhumanist party|transhumanist party]] movement.<ref>[https://transhumanistparty.wordpress.com/2015/10/12/zoltan-istvan-does-not-speak-for-the-transhumanist-party/ Zoltan Istvan does not speak for the Transhumanist Party]</ref><ref>[http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-transhumanist-movement-is-having-an-identity-crisis The Transhumanist Movement Is Having an Identity Crisis]</ref>

These events marked the organisations known collectively as the [[Special:MyLanguage/Transhumanist political organisations#List_of_organisations|Transhumanist Party]] splitting into two blocks.


== Campaign ==

His campaign has included touring the United States in the [[Special:MyLanguage/Immortality Bus|Immortality Bus]]. In his [[Special:MyLanguage/Singularity 1 on 1|Singularity 1 on 1]] interview,<ref name="1on1" /> Zoltan credits the bus as the key to the success of his campaign. As a highly visible publicity platform, it garnered an enormous amount of media coverage. 

* 26th October - Appearance on the [[Special:MyLanguage/Alex Jones|Alex Jones]] show, discussing radical life extension with David Knight.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlGADx1s1zQ Epic Debate between Christianity and Transhumanism ]</ref>
* 18th November - Article ''"Presidential candidate suggests microchips for Syrian refugees"''<ref>[http://www.cnet.com/news/presidential-candidate-suggests-microchips-for-syrian-refugees/ Presidential candidate suggests microchips for Syrian refugees]</ref> garners a significant backlash from transhumanists on social media.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/uk.transhumanistparty/permalink/798822406896083/ Zoltan what are you doing]</ref>
* 15th December -  He met technologist and [[Special:MyLanguage/Cyber Party|Cyber Party]], now [[Special:MyLanguage/Libertarian Party|Libertarian Party]] presidential candidate [[Special:MyLanguage/John McAfee|John McAfee]] as a part of his immortality bus tour.<ref>[http://www.msn.com/en-gb/video/watch/when-zoltan-istvan-met-john-mcafee-watch-us-presidential-candidates-discuss-politics-cybersecurity-and-immortality/vp-BBnAzv7 When Zoltan Istvan met John McAfee: Watch US presidential candidates discuss politics…]</ref>
* 21st December - Delivers a [[Special:MyLanguage/Transhumanist Bill of Rights|Transhumanist Bill of Rights]] to the US Capitol along with members of the [[Special:MyLanguage/Washington, D.C. Transhumanist Party|Washington, D.C. Transhumanist Party]].<ref>[http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/zoltan-istvan-immortality-bus-delivers-transhumanist-bill-rights-us-capitol-1534388 Zoltan Istvan: Immortality Bus delivers Transhumanist Bill of Rights to US Capitol] </ref>
* 18th January - Advocates the potential [[Special:MyLanguage/abolition of sleep|abolition of sleep]]<ref>[http://motherboard.vice.com/read/lets-cure-the-disease-of-sleeping Let’s Cure the Disease of Sleeping]</ref>

On November 17, 2016, Zoltan Istvan resigned as Chairman of the U.S. Transhumanist Party and transferred leadership to [[Special:MyLanguage/Gennady Stolyarov|Gennady Stolyarov]] II, and the organisation restructured in various ways.<ref>[http://transhumanist-party.org/2016/11/14/forthcoming-transitional-period/ Forthcoming Transitional Period of the Transhumanist Party]</ref>. One of the major changes has been the democratization of policy-oriented decisions and an extensive Platform adopted through ranked-preference votes of the members.<ref>[http://transhumanist-party.org/platform/ U.S. Transhumanist Party Platform]</ref>  The U.S. Transhumanist Party developed a greatly expanded Version 2.0 of the [[Special:MyLanguage/Transhumanist Bill of Rights|Transhumanist Bill of Rights]], which was adopted via an electronic vote of the members that occurred on December 25-31, 2016.<ref>[http://transhumanist-party.org/tbr-2/ Transhumanist Bill of Rights – Version 2.0]</ref>. On December 12, 2018, Version 3.0 of the Transhumanist Bill of Rights was adopted as a result of a member vote held on December 2-9, 2018<ref>[http://transhumanist-party.org/tbr-3/ Transhumanist Bill of Rights – Version 3.0]</ref>.

The campaign is being made into a documentary entitled [[Special:MyLanguage/Immortality or Bust|Immortality or Bust]].


== Zoltan on his 2016 campaign ==

Interview with [[Special:MyLanguage/Nikola Danaylov|Nikola Danaylov]]
<embedvideo service="youtube">https://youtu.be/Kt0XHy3ustM</embedvideo>


== See also ==

* [[Special:MyLanguage/Transhumanist Party (US)|Transhumanist Party (US)]]


== External links ==

* [http://www.zoltanistvan.com/ zoltanistvan.com]
* [http://transpolitica.org/2015/07/02/zoltan-istvans-teleological-egocentric-functionalism-a-libertarian-philosophical-basis-for-transhumanist-politics/ Assessment of Zoltan's "Teleological Egocentric Functionalism"] by [[Special:MyLanguage/Roland Benedikter|Roland Benedikter]]
* {{Wikipedia|Zoltan Istvan}}
* {{twitter|zoltan_istvan}}
{{facebook page|https://www.facebook.com/USTranshumanistParty/}}


== References ==

[[Category:Transhumanists]]
[[Category:Transhumanist politicians]]
[[Category:American transhumanists]]
[[Category:Zoltan Istvan]]
[[Category:Controversies]]
[[Category:Atheistic transhumanism]]
[[Category:Transhumanist writers]]
[[Category:Transhumanist Party (US)]]
[[Category:Life extensionists]]