Hello all of you , I have read this correspondence with great interest.
On 20 Jan 2008, at 14:17, Vladimir Nesov wrote:
If one argues for personal moral
freedom, it's not about enforcing freedom on others, it's about
liberating oneself from influence of others.
Vladimir
Others will always influence ONE (YOU). Getting rid of influence by
others (this includes parents, friends, enemies, etc) is like getting
rid of one's personality. Influence of others and influencing others is
part of our social existence.
About extropians:
and N. Vita-More
" Using the term "Social-Darwinism" is inaccurate because it poisons
the well of your readership by implying that it is a desire for those
who are more fit than others to dominate. This term makes a
socio-economic/political inference, rather than explaining why
extropians want to self-improve. One of the most important
characteristics of extropians is the desire to see ALL humanity
improve, NOT a select few who can "afford" it. "
This is confusing. Fine that extropians want to self-improve. That ALL
humanity should improve, is quite questionable. Does all humanity want
to improve (immortality, happy pills, ...)?
Can all humanity afford this improvement? Isn't this a bit like many
ideologies or religions that envisage a better world with their rules
and discoveries?
What place do humans have in this scenario who do not want to improve ?
What are their rights?
Will extropians become an elite who rules all the others who are not
part of this enlightened scenario. Even if ruling is seen as an
unwanted process.
How does the baptism work? Brainwashing, force-feeding, consumer
promise, gentle persuasion, religiously inspired promises?
Immortality. Is immortality really so wonderful? I was thinking about
Fosca in one of Simone de Beauvoir's novels. He is immortal and lonely.
He is one of few, if not the only one. Could there be something like
the BURDEN of immortality.
If all can share immortality, then reproduction is not necessary or
even unwanted (over-population).Or it is permitted for a few chosen
ones. Or we multiply (in the biblical sense) and spread into outer
space with all our immortality? What about people from other
sects/ideologies/belief-systems who do not want to become immortal
other if then within their religious concepts of immortality of souls,
etc. Trans(post)humanism as materialised afterlife?
Moravec is interesting because he seems to propose and predict the
extinction of the human species. A form of 'extendec' suicide? A form
of self-hatred? A form of omnipotent delusion?
I also thought that Goertzel's texts were informative and good.
Ciao,
Gudrun Bielz
PhD student in Fine Art
University of Reading
Title of thesis "The OCAP"_ The obsessive compulsive 'artcificial'
project
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