Attitudes toward Ancestors in Space: Povinelli’s Anthropology vs. Russian Cosmism

Abstract

Imagining a cosmic future touches on many topics, but typically avoids the topic of death, burial, and attitudes toward deceased ancestors. Most ofthese developments concern life-supportsystems. This article analyzesthe debate between American anthropologist Elizabeth Povinelli and Russian cosmists. The subject of this debate is immortality and attitudes toward ancestors in the context of space exploration. Povinelli analyzes Russian cosmism in the context of her experience researching and living with Australian Aborigines. For the cosmists, space colonization was a high priority. Russian visionary philosopher Nikolai Fedorov believed that it was necessary to leave Earth, firstly, to resurrect ancestors—it was necessary to collect particles from across the universe. Secondly, space exploration was necessary to disperse resurrected ancestorsto other galaxies: there wouldn’t be enough room for everyone on the spaceship Earth. In contrast, Povinelli’s geontological concept suggests “not looking up.” The researcher opposes the colonization of space, as her model of immortality presupposes the localization of descendants. This immortality is based on mutual material exchange between ancestors and descendants. People “feed” their ancestors with their excrement, and in return, receive assistance from the spiritsin theirlocal existence. In thissense, all failures and obstacles are explained by the intervention of ancestors. The article proposesresolving this aporia by reconciling two models ofrelationships with ancestors—that of cosmism and that of Povinelli’s anthropology. Currently and in the near future, space exploration takes place within the closed circuits of space stations, ships, and settlements. In such biospheres, releasing the deceased into outer space would be practically unprofitable. Most likely, ancestors and descendants will feed each other, and funeral rituals and exchanges with ancestors could become part ofthe maintenance ofthe biospheres of space settlements.