Re: `extropianism'? (was: Re: Are Extropians promoters of an ascetic ideal and alienation?)

From: Brett Paatsch (bpaatsch@bigpond.net.au)
Date: Sun Aug 03 2003 - 21:57:00 MDT

  • Next message: Natasha Vita-More: "Re: `extropianism'? (was: Re: Are Extropians promoters of an ascetic ideal and alienation?)"

    Damien Broderick writes:

    > At 06:08 PM 8/3/03 -0700, Natasha wrote:
    >
    > > Extropy Institute prefers not
    > >to use "ism" for the extropian philosophy.
    >
    > Natasha has made this lexical point repeatedly of late.
    >..
    >I suppose the point isn't the *word* as such, it's the
    > automatic implication of group-think that goes with
    > any -ism.

    That would be my guess too. Adding "ism" seems to
    be a way of caricaturising a set of ideas thereby making
    it easier to attack. But it's one thing to be caricaturised
    by those who one would naturally expect opposition
    from and another to have one's confederates encourage
    such caricaturisation by adopting their language.

    Actually, I think Robert was simply continuing to use
    the term used by Sebastian Chikara.
     
    Alas, I think we have not seen the last of such 'own
    goal' terminology as extropes talking of extropianism,
    or critical thinkers professing their 'beliefs'.

    As for using sci fi instead of SF, at least one head is
    now metaphorically hanging in shame ;-)

    Brett Paatsch
    [Not a 'believer' in 'extropianism' but a fan of SF]

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