Kosmizm

Kosmizm, or cosmism, is a Russian philosophical and cultural movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It sought a synthesis of science, philosophy, and religion and proposed humanity's mission to explore and transform the cosmos. Central to cosmism is the belief that the human condition can be advanced through scientific progress, including the achieving of immortality and the resurrection of the dead, and the creation of conditions for universal life extending beyond Earth.

The movement is most closely associated with Nikolai Fedorov (1829–1903), who argued that the state, society, and science should organize and fund comprehensive research aimed at overcoming death and reviving the dead through technological means. He articulated the idea of the "Common Task" (obshcheye delo), a collective ethical imperative to unite humanity in the pursuit of immortality and resurrection for all.

Cosmism also treats humanity as a cosmic force, emphasizing the unity of the material and the spiritual and envisioning space exploration and colonization as expressions of humanity's evolutionary destiny. In the early 20th century, figures such as Konstantin Tsiolkovsky contributed to the atmosphere of cosmism by connecting these philosophical commitments to practical plans for rocket science and spaceflight.

Impact and legacy: Cosmism influenced Russian space thought and later transhumanist discussions, and it is often cited as a precursor to ideas about immortality, resurrection, and cosmic expansion through science. In recent decades, scholars have revisited cosmism to understand its philosophical commitments and historical role within Russian intellectual history, noting its enduring appeal for questions about science, ethics, and humanity's future in the cosmos.