Re: >H RE: Present dangers to transhumanism

Stan Kretler (skretler@infinitefaculty.com)
Wed, 01 Sep 1999 12:00:53 -0700

From: "Eliezer S. Yudkowsky" <sentience@pobox.com>

: Anders Sandberg wrote:
: >
: > Actually, we probably need more good studies of pros and cons of
: > transhumanists ideas put on the web, to show that we are actually
: > looking seriously at these issues. Otherwise people will get the
wrong
: > impression and think we are just naive technophiles.
:
: Frankly, I think a fairly large percentage of you *are* naive
: technophiles. You think you can take controlled sips from a tidal
wave.

I just joined this list recently, but I do not see a lot of what I would I call "naive technophiles". I do see a lot of technophiles, and a lot of naivete, but the naivete seems to be about the philosophical undergirding of transhumanism, not about the technology. Taking "controlled sips from a tidal wave" seems easy enough. Technology can do anything. But thought about * why* taking a controlled sip from a tidal wave is a worthwhile goal seems to be absent from this list.

Seems important to think about these things. Is anyone here worried about slipping into a psychosis of nihilism once their IQs are high enough that they realize that their goals have no philosophical foundation (or *might* have no foundation)?

Worrying about grey goo seems less important (and less interesting) than worrying about 400 IQ nihilists with a *lot* of technological power.

If this is an old topic, perhaps someone could point me to a place where it has already been discussed.

Cheers,
Stan