Re: Extropian views

Arjen Kamphuis (mountain@knoware.nl)
Sun, 14 Sep 1997 01:15:15 +0200


At 12:01 13-09-97 -0400 wrote:
>> Date: Fri, 12 Sep 1997 16:09:48 +0200
>> From: Arjen Kamphuis <mountain@knoware.nl>
>> Subject: Re: Extropianis (Protestants in Disguise?)
>>
>> Methinks most Extropians are relativly young, healty, white, highly
>> educated/skilled (self-taught or otherwise), well-payed people that work
>> 40-80 hrs a week (more when they are driving trucks ;-).

/SNIP/

>One of the wonderous "breath of fresh air" features of Ayn Rand's
>"Objectivism" is that even partially adopting the viewpoint gives one
>the ability to openly laugh at this sort of stupidity.

Gasp! you mean to tell me that this list is *filled* with ethnic,
physically challenged, used-to-be-factoryworkers that are over 45 and
earning less than $20K per year? Wow...
In that case I must have really been mistaken about who's on this list.
Sorry guys...

I will have a look at Ayn Rand's work however.

>I have *no* obligations to other human beings other than the ones I
>freely accepted myself. NONE. ZERO.

>I have NO obligation to someone dying in the street.

>Whether my superior position comes from being hard working and
>intelligent or from "privilege" is utterly meaningless. I HAVE NO
>OBLIGATIONS TO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE, OTHER THAN THOSE I FREELY AGREED
>TO, PERIOD.

There's no need to shout. Some of us may be hard-headed, we're not deaf.

Well... maybe thing are different in the US (even more than I thought).
Better not visit the Netherlands or Switserland, such an attitude could get
you imprisoned for up to 10 years. Neglect is considered a very bad thing,
by law.
At this moment there are 5 foreign tourists under investigation in
Switserland for not-helping someone in an emergency situation. They might
very well go to prison for several years.

Of course you are right, rationally speaking. Rationally speaking human
life also has no value in itself... (it's just a convention right?)
Purely rationally speaking there's really no point in anything is there?
Maybe rationality isn't everything... ;-)

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Arjen Kamphuis | Learn as if you will live forever.
mountain@knoware.nl | Live as though you will die tomorrow.