You can't conquer death (and everything else) if you are a slave to
physical needs/desires. As I recall, someone on this list (maybe it was
Max More?) said they would not want to be uploaded to exist solely as
intellect. Why not? Do you think if you achieved such an existence you
would miss having physical needs/desires? I doubt it.
I say:
There are a lot of rhetorical hooks packed into this.
I dispute the equivalency of "hedonism" and "[being] a slave to
physical needs/desires".
I suspect I would not willingly permit myself to be uploaded to exist
solely as intellect.
I might permit myself to be copied into a fast intellect-only form
(as a sort of "guardian angel") if it seemed as if a lot of people I
don't know and hence might be wise not to trust were getting themsleves
uploaded as pure intellects. But that would be so I could keep an eye on
them and fight them on their own turf if need be. (1/2 grin)
It's anybody's guess how I could keep my guardian angel interested
in guarding me--I'd probably have to install something irrational like
"loyalty" or "fondness" into it, and that might slow it down against
some faster-on-the-draw "pure intellect". If so, bummer.
You are free to doubt whatever you like; but GIGO. The notion that
"physical needs/desires" is all there is to hedonism is fundamentally
flawed when applied to this particular human. YMMV.
Michael M. Butler, at but not for OCV