Appendix Relations with Alien Intelligences – The Scientific Basis of Metalaw1 Ernst Fasan DK 340.114:341.229:2:133 1 The appendix was previously published by Berlin Verlag Arno Spitz in 1970. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 181 P.M. Sterns, L.I. Tennen (eds.), Private Law, Public Law, Metalaw and Public Policy in Space, Space Regulations Library 8, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-27087-6 Contents Foreword by Wernher von Braun ����������������������������������������������������������������� 185 Introduction ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 187 I: The Possibility of Encountering Nonhuman Intelligent Beings �������������� 189 Opinions in Ancient Literature ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 189 The Results of Modern Science �������������������������������������������������������������� 191 II: The Physical Nature of Extraterrestrial Beings �������������������������������������� 205 The Necessary Characteristics ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 205 Origin and Development of Protoplasmic Life ��������������������������������������� 209 Intelligent Machines – The Question of Robots �������������������������������������� 210 III: The Concept, Term, and Literature of Metalaw ����������������������������������� 213 Selection and Definition of the Term ����������������������������������������������������������� 213 A Survey of Literature ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 215 IV: The Categorical Imperative and Metalaw ���������������������������������������������� 223 V: The Rules of Metalaw �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 227 Legal History ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 227 Evolution of the Rules ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 230 VI: An Order of Precedence for Metalaw, and the Pure Theory of Law �������� 237 Order of the Basic Rules ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 237 The Pure Theory of Law and Metalaw ���������������������������������������������������� 238 VII: Metapolitics ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 241 Préface by Eugène Pépin �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 247 Synopsis in French [Résumé Français] ��������������������������������������������������������� 249 Geleitwort by Hermann Oberth �������������������������������������������������������������������� 253 Synopsis in German [Beziehungen zu auβerirdischen Intelligenzen] �������� 255 Eine wissenschaftliche Grundlage für das Metarecht ���������������������������������� 255 Prologo by Aldo Armando Cocca ������������������������������������������������������������������ 259 Synopsis in Spanish [Relaciones con inteligencias extraterrestres] ������������ 263 Una base científica para el metaderecho ������������������������������������������������������ 263 183 184 Contents Bibliography ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 267 Appendix Index ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 269 Foreword Through the entire history of man, his concepts of the world in which he lives and the Universe that surrounds him have been undergoing constant changes. For many, many centuries he believed his home planet to be the true hub of the entire cosmos, around which the crystal dome of the heavens rotate. Today we have come to accept as indisputable that our Earth is only one of the planets revolving around the sun, the sun only one of a billion stars in our galaxy, and our galaxy only one of billions of galaxies in the Universe. It would be presumptuous for modern man to assume that in this infinite vastness of the cosmos, the homo sapiens on Earth were the only manifestation of intelligent life. Of course, our present technological methods and scientific tools seem vastly inadequate to permit any direct contact with extrasolar civilizations. However, for the generations to come who will be able to advance far beyond the present destina- tions of our spacecraft or the reaches of todays’ lasers and radiotelescopes, the dis- covery of such life is highly probable and will be an extremely fascinating and challenging task. Ernst Fasan examines the possibilities of man’s encounter with other civiliza- tions. He emphasizes the legal and philosophical aspects of such an event and makes us aware that only through recognition of and adherence to Kant’s Categorical Imperative can we expect to benefit from the challenges of the future and to avoid cataclysmic events. Wernher von Braun 185 Introduction Since the execution of Project “OZMA” in 1960 and the Green Bank Conference in 1961 the question of contacting extraterrestrial intelligences has been more and more the center of scientific interest and examination. That any such contact would bring about an enormous impact on all science is obvious. One of these sciences is the legal one, since every contact between ­intelligent beings is performed according to some rules. These rules, rules of con- duct, are at the same time basically legal in nature. Thus such rules – the rules of Metalaw – have been discussed in numerous papers, addresses, and in books in Space Law. But up to now no book exists dealing with the entire set of problems involved. An extensive study of Metalaw seems to also require an examination of some extralegal aspects of a possible contact with aliens – be it bodily or merely by tele- communication. Beyond this, it seems to presuppose an inquiry as to whether it is sensible to discuss legal questions before any actual encounter has occurred. Assuming an affirmative answer to the last question, it seems necessary to find a sound philosophical basis upon which all rules of Metalaw can be developed. Metalaw will be a rule of conduct for intelligent beings. Thus, the Categorical Imperative will apply. Metalaw will be, furthermore, a natural law based on those natural characteristics which are necessarily common to all partners who subscribe to Metalaw. These characteristics are, as we shall see: Life, Intelligence, Detectability, Three-dimensionality, and Will to Live. From these starting points we have endeav- ored to deduce eleven rules of Metalaw with a firm scientific basis. Our task may be considered premature. But when we realize that more and more experiments are being made to contact aliens, and when we take into account the scientific discussions such as those of theHermann Oberth Society in 1968 and those of the International Astronautical Academy, scheduled for 1970 and the fol- lowing years, we nevertheless feel justified in carrying out this investigation. 187 188 Introduction We should like to express our thanks to Mr. Arno Spitz, publisher of the Berlin Verlag, for his enterprising decision to publish this book, to Professor Schütte for providing the star maps and above all, to the late Andrew G. Haley who considered “Metalaw” and who during the last year of his life advised us to carry out the studies which have led to this publication. Thanks are also due to Mrs. Fasan, to whom this book is dedicated. I: The Possibility of Encountering Nonhuman Intelligent Beings Opinions in Ancient Literature Whenever we raise the question on nonhuman intelligent beings, we are confronted with the picture of the “little green men” or the “bug-eyed monsters”, or even the nonsense of “flying saucers”, i.e., with creations of sheer fiction or, what is worse, with fantastic results of rather wild pseudoscientists. This is the reason why the whole question is often ridiculed and is considered “sciencefictioneerish”. On the other hand, for more than 2000 years the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligent life has been discussed and has by no means been considered chimerical. The pre-Incas were of the opinion that the stars, especially the Pleiades, were inhabited.2 The same belief was expressed by Anaximander, Xenophanes, Democritus and Plutarch.3 Sullivan quotes the very interesting statement of the Sung Dynasty Chinese scientist Teg Mu: “How unreasonable would it be to assume that there are no other skies besides the earth and the sky we see”.4 He also points out that the holy Buddist book Saddharma Pundarika describes an assembly of Bodhisattvas from many worlds who are congregated before the face of God.5 Sullivan also quotes, from more recent times, the opinion of Huygens: “… thus we must recognize all the planets which are around this huge number of suns. They must have plants and animals, and even reasoning beings which wonder about the sky and look at it much as we do …”.6 2 Däniken, Erinnerungen an die Zukunft (Vienna, 1968), p. 90. 3 Sullivan, We are not alone, German ed., 1966, pp. 14–17. 4 Ibid., p. 17. 5 Ibid., p. 346. 6 Sullivan, op. cit., p. 28. 189 190 I: The Possibility of Encountering Nonhuman Intelligent Beings In a similar vein, Sullivan quotes from Giordano Bruno and Milton’s Paradise Lost, and the opinion of John Wilkins, bishop and founding member of the Royal Society. As regards seventeenth century opinions, we must not forget Cyrano de Bergerac, in whose novel, L’homme dans la lune, the hero-author flies to the moon and meets there our satellite’s intelligent inhabitants. Magno quotes in
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