Hi Mark, Obviously you need to complicated your original statement "I believe that ethics is *entirely* driven by what is best evolutionarily..." in such a way that we don't derive ethics from parasites. You did that by invoking social behavior - parasites are not social beings.
So from there you need to identify how evolution operates in social groups in such a way that you can derive ethics. As Matt alluded to before, would you agree that ethics is the result of group selection? In other words, that human collectives with certain taboos make the group as a whole more likely to persist? Terren --- On Thu, 8/28/08, Mark Waser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: Mark Waser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: AGI goals (was Re: Information theoretic approaches to AGI (was > Re: [agi] The Necessity of Embodiment)) > To: agi@v2.listbox.com > Date: Thursday, August 28, 2008, 9:21 PM > Parasites are very successful at surviving but they > don't have other > goals. Try being parasitic *and* succeeding at goals other > than survival. > I think you'll find that your parasitic ways will > rapidly get in the way of > your other goals the second that you need help (or even > non-interference) > from others. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Terren Suydam" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <agi@v2.listbox.com> > Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 5:03 PM > Subject: Re: AGI goals (was Re: Information theoretic > approaches to AGI (was > Re: [agi] The Necessity of Embodiment)) > > > > > > --- On Thu, 8/28/08, Mark Waser > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Actually, I *do* define good and ethics not only > in > >> evolutionary terms but > >> as being driven by evolution. Unlike most people, > I > >> believe that ethics is > >> *entirely* driven by what is best evolutionarily > while not > >> believing at all > >> in "red in tooth and claw". I can give > you a > >> reading list that shows that > >> the latter view is horribly outdated among people > who keep > >> up with the > >> research rather than just rehashing tired old > ideas. > > > > I think it's a stretch to derive ethical ideas > from what you refer to as > > "best evolutionarily". Parasites are pretty > freaking successful, from an > > evolutionary point of view, but nobody would say > parasitism is ethical. > > > > Terren > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------- > > agi > > Archives: > https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now > > RSS Feed: > https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/ > > Modify Your Subscription: > > https://www.listbox.com/member/?&; > > Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------- > agi > Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now > RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/ > Modify Your Subscription: > https://www.listbox.com/member/?&; > Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com ------------------------------------------- agi Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/ Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=8660244&id_secret=111637683-c8fa51 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
