----- Original Message -----
From: "Anders Sandberg" <asa@nada.kth.se>
> I think you are mixing up the concept of the singularity with the
> putative properties of posthumans.
As I understand it, many uses of the word 'singularity' imply that there
will be a certain type of posthuman, namely, one with intellectual
capacities that transcend the human, all too human. (That is, the
singularity implies the posthuman (but not vice versa)). Do you not accept
this implication?
>Using this way of reasoning christian
> theology is clearly linked to eudaimonism, since God ought to be very
> good at understanding eudaimonia.
Right. Aquinas and many other Christian thinkers are interpreted as
eudamonists. Some go so far as to say that Aquinas singualar contribution to
ethics is to wed Christian and Aristotelian thinking. Historically, the
concept of eudaimonia has been filled in a variety of ways. If it is to be
our rallying point then it requires articulation.
>What Waldemar was originally pointing
> out is that the singularity concept in our discourse tends to draw undue
> attention to highly hypothetical futures which are also implied to be
> unknowable and quite often appear static, and asking whether this
> wouldn't limit our eudaimonic striving.
>
I understand that he said this. I don't know if I understand why. As I
pointed out previously, even Aristotle, whose name Waldemar invokes, has a
conception of the telos of humanity that it quite static, namely emulating
the unmoved mover. Suppose we conceded for the sake of the argument that
Waldemar is right that the singularity is static and unknowable. How does
this limit our eudaimonic stiving now? If your goal is to get rich so that
you can sit around and doing nothing all day how does this necessarily limit
your striving today? Surely it is consistent for me to redouble my efforts
today to achieve my goal of being a sloth tomorrow. I think Waldemar would
do us a service if he could explain a bit better the connection he sees
between the singularity and a lack eudaimonic striving.
Mark.
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