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Against the backdrop of breakthroughs in life sciences, aerospace technology, and artificial intelligence, space travel and Mars immigration have moved from theoretical ideas to practical exploration. Behind this blueprint, there are not only practical technical and economic considerations, but also important humanistic issues such as human identity and social structure transformation.

Recently, the 28th Berggruen Lecture Series "Planetary Pluralism: Humanistic Dialogue on Immigrating to Mars" was held at the CITIC Bookstore in Sanlitun, Beijing. This lecture was in the form of a dialogue. Jiang Yunpeng, 2023-2024 Berggruen Scholar and tenured professor of the Department of Philosophy at Tsinghua University, served as the convener and hosted the dialogue. The other three guests were science fiction writer Hao Jingfang, Professor Liu Bing of the Department of History of Science at Tsinghua University, and Professor Miao Yinzhi of the School of Law at Nanjing University.

The lecture took an interdisciplinary perspective and comprehensively examined the multiple aspects of Martian immigration. It discussed topics such as the group construction and social structure of Martian immigrants, the new order of planetary governance and the political structure of Earth and Mars, the cultural impact of technological innovation and the resulting ethical dilemmas.

Space pioneers: the purpose, cost and motivation of interstellar migration

At the beginning of the lecture, Liu Bing analyzed the possible motivations and potential challenges of interstellar migration from the dual dimensions of fiction and reality, emphasizing the tension between resource utilization and future exploration under the constraints of realistic conditions. In science fiction narratives, interstellar migration is often portrayed as a helpless move taken by humans to continue the fire of civilization at the time of the doomsday crisis, which therefore involves ethical problems such as "survivor selection". In reality, the Mars migration plan is not an urgent response to "rescue", but more reflects the ambition of mankind to expand the territory of development and carries expectations for the future. However, the bottleneck of earth resources, the huge investment required for interstellar expansion, the technological investment and the uncertainty of the results constitute factors that cannot be ignored when evaluating the necessity of Mars migration. Therefore, from a utilitarian perspective, whether Mars migration can become a must-have option at the current stage and whether it can achieve its claimed ideal of promoting human welfare is still worth further discussion.

Jiang Yunpeng believes that pioneering and immigration are basic elements in the process of human history, and he affirms Elon Musk's vision of transforming humans into a multi-planet species. Musk's idea is reasonable from the perspective of civilization evolution and macro-strategy, but the appeal of grand goals in concept is difficult to directly transform into a source of motivation for public recognition and practice in actual operations. In addition, for those elites who have the ability to survive on Mars, they can also enjoy superior living conditions on Earth. Therefore, the psychological motivation for Mars immigration presents a certain complexity.

Lecture site

Mu Yinzhi focused on the dimensions of law and justice, pointing out that the current activities of private enterprises are based on the principle of voluntariness and do not use public funds, so there is no need to obtain public support as a basis for legitimacy. The first batch of interstellar immigrants are similar to the pioneers of North America and Australia. Their actions are mostly driven by the spirit of adventure and the desire for exploration, rather than directly related to the welfare of all mankind or the maximization of individual interests. In the legal discussion at the actual level, the focus should be on the actual needs and true motivations of the immigrant group. Utilitarian reasons are not the entire basis for their actions. He believes that under the wave of the second "Age of Exploration", the freedom of individual migration should be respected. If the participation and intervention of governments of various countries are involved in the future, it will inevitably trigger a broader and deeper social ethical discussion. The current legal key is whether companies can be allowed to exercise quasi-governmental functions and how the corresponding rights and obligations should be defined. This foreshadows an unprecedented type of case, requiring timely adjustment and innovation of existing legal rules.

Hao Jingfang approached the issue from an economic perspective, pointing out that the government tends to be cautious in its decision-making process due to fiscal constraints, and the advancement of Mars immigration will be highly dependent on the participation of commercial and private forces. She compared the motivations of North American immigrants in history to escape the rule of the British king, and used the case of early supporters of blockchain technology pursuing "decentralization" and freedom and equal rights to explain the non-traditional motivations that may be contained in the process of Mars immigration. These motivations go beyond the scope of basic survival needs and reflect human desire for a broader space and interest in transcending the existing social model.

Mars governance: immigration composition and social attributes

The construction of a Martian immigrant society marks the arrival of the post-Anthropocene, and also means a new set of institutional practices and philosophical ethics. People must examine their social structure in stages, and the composition of the first batch of immigrants will have a direct impact on the overall cultural outlook of Martian society.

Jiang Yunpeng believes that the Mars migration model is different from the historical seafaring landings in America and the operation of modern scientific research stations. On the one hand, the tolerance rate of the living environment in America is relatively high, while the harsh environment on Mars will require immigrants to have professional skills and psychological resilience; on the other hand, unlike the permanent personnel of the space station, the journey to Mars may be one-way and irreversible in the early stage. Once set off, it will become extremely difficult to return to Earth. Therefore, the implementation of the Mars immigration plan will be subject to the dual constraints of technical thresholds and taking root on Mars, which places extremely high demands on the comprehensive quality of the immigrant group, and may also be accompanied by difficult qualification assessment and selection.

With her keen perspective in science fiction creation, Hao Jingfang predicted a cultural form nurtured by a community dominated by scientific research. Martian society will show characteristics that are very different from the agricultural and marine civilizations in Earth history, and its core operating mechanism may be closer to a precisely operated automated production system. First, in extreme environments, a clear system of rules and strict compliance by rational people are necessary conditions for ensuring social stability and survival. Secondly, intelligence and automation will become the prominent features of Martian society. The limitation of resources and closed space determine that the free trade and power distribution model that prevailed in the early days of human civilization may be unsustainable. For a long time, Martian society will adopt public ownership, while combining artificial intelligence to accurately explore and dispatch resources, aiming to reduce the uncertainty of human factors and achieve the dual pursuit of fairness and efficiency. This governance method based on rationing and intelligent technology will profoundly change the power relationship and interaction mode between people.

Liu Bing believes that Mars, a seemingly neutral space, is actually based on an idealized assumption of funding and personnel, and behind it is a paradoxical trap of utopia and dystopia. In the space field where resources are scarce and emergencies occur frequently, the preset rational principles and laws may encounter unprecedented challenges. The Mars immigration plan not only means the development of resources and culture, but also comes with potential conflicts and oppression.

Planetary Order: A New Era of Martian Autonomy and the Shaping of an Interstellar Identity

"We don't want other worlds. All we want is a mirror," it is written in "Solaris." Interstellar expansion is not only a physical behavior of expansion in the space-time structure, but also provides an opportunity for human beings to re-examine the meaning of their existence, and to measure the space-time identifiers on which the human subjects on Earth have long relied to locate themselves on a cosmic scale.

Miao Yinzhi pointed out that in the dispute over the sovereignty and ownership of Mars, there are two opposing views: "first come, first served" and "prior negotiation".

The former follows the unwritten principle of "first come, first served" in history, while the latter advocates the continuation of the spirit of the Antarctic Treaty (1961) and the Convention on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (1984) to ensure resource sharing and international cooperation. The divergence of attitudes among countries raises a key question: Do earthlings have the right to claim that the celestial bodies, including Mars, are common property? Does this view imply a kind of earth-centrism? The expression of "Martian rebellion" in popular culture contains similar historical biases, revealing the inertial thinking of colonial rule. With the example of Canada's responsible government self-governance as a reference, the independence of Mars will also be the destiny of human development: when Mars can be self-sufficient and get rid of its dependence on the material support of the earth, it will develop a unique political logic based on actual conditions, and naturally tend to be an autonomous destiny body, rather than a vassal of the earth. Humans may have to reposition themselves in the relative relationship between Mars and the earth.

The ecology of Mars will also give rise to a post-human identity based on a new geological connection. Jiang Yunpeng added that the low-gravity environment and space pressure will force the human body and cognitive structure to adapt and change. Over time, Mars will evolve into a larger, more comprehensive society with a more detailed division of labor, and the first generation of immigrants will evolve into a more diverse group of native Martian residents. These changes are not only reflected in physiology, such as stronger physical fitness and higher intelligence, but may also affect the cultural belonging of Martians, because the second and third generations of Martian immigrants will have sufficient physiological reasons to resolutely refuse to identify with Earthlings.

Hao Jingfang acknowledged that Martians will develop significantly different physical functions and appearance characteristics, but considering that physiological structure is still the standard for defining species, as long as there is a deep genetic connection between Martians and Earthlings, it is possible to trigger an identity based on common origin or potential kinship. Liu Bing used the history of the interweaving of struggle and harmony between nation-states as a reference to draw an analogy for the complex relationship that may exist between Earth and Mars in the future. Miao Yinzhi further pointed out that countries with the same race (such as Britain and the United States) often have special emotional ties and a more friendly diplomatic atmosphere, which also provides inspiration for the future political relationship between Mars and Earth.

Lecture site

During the discussion session, the audience expressed their longing for immigration to Mars and their curiosity about the unknown, and asked the guests questions such as the capabilities required for immigration, historical situations that could not be predicted, and the impact of Mars immigration on Earth.

Regarding the continuity and discontinuity between the past and the future, the known and the unknown, the guests emphasized that predicting the future is not the task of historians. The unknown is unknown because it goes beyond the scope of existing knowledge and experience. Once it is predictable, it is no longer unknown. Regarding the question of whether Mars will become a "brave new world" in the future, the guests expressed a neutral and cautious view. Even based on the currently known scientific principles and laws of social development, the future direction of Martian society is still full of unforeseen variables.

Autocracy or democracy, peace or conflict, will depend on the interaction between adaptability and environmental conditions, and will be affected by multiple factors. Martian society will have its own logic of destiny, and we do not need to worry too much or attempt to forcibly control it. In the final analysis, humans cannot exclude contingency and unpredictability from the world. In the face of Mars immigration, a new human exploration activity, humans should remain humble and open, and give it enough patience and generosity.