Re: The Joys Of Flesh

Twirlip of Greymist (phoenix@ugcs.caltech.edu)
Sat, 7 Sep 1996 18:05:21 -0700 (PDT)


On Sep 7, 4:01pm, Michael Wiik wrote:

} you give them to get it together - to end war, suffering, murder, etc.
} Civilization has had about 10K years, I'm not sure I would wait that
} long. Putting the question as an ultimatum - "get it together in a week
} or be destroyed", *might* provide sufficient incentive, but I doubt it.

Oh boy, another sadistic SI! The human race isn't some entity you can
negotiate with; it's a bunch of humans, for whom war and murder and
other less unpleasant activities are sometimes dysfunctions, but often
are rational responses to the situation at hand. Expecting a huge bunch
of approximately autonomous humans to suddenly act like a borg because
of threat of destruction isn't necessarily bright, or kind if it is bright.

After all, who says the >borgs will have solved such problems among
themselves? I doubt it.

} I see extropianism as a current necessity, but not necessarily the
} philosophy that will allow us to become transhumans.

Exhibit A: what's in non-extropian transhumanism for me?

Merry part,
-xx- Damien R. Sullivan X-) <*> http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~phoenix

Leave Calvin and the Bible to the parish o' Dunbar.
Give a blind man back his eyes to find the brightest o' the stars.
Then lead him to the altar of a better God by far
In the vale of the redwood cathedral.