From: Mark Plus (markplus@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Nov 13 2000 - 21:39:11 MST
Ben Goertzel wrote,
[snip]
>There are many possible beliefs here to be sure.
One line of thinking, which Moravec often gravitates toward, is that humans
are basically inferior compared
to what's going to come after -- and we all die in the end anyway -- so
whether a few humans live or die
is ultimately not that crucial.
Another line of thinking, which Sasha explicitly maintained in many
conversations with me -- and Moravec and
many other libertarians hint at in their writings -- is that the "hi-tech"
breed of humans is somehow superior
to the rest of humanity and hence more deserving of living on forever in the
grand and glorious cyber-afterlife...<
[snip]
Have you considered the more benevolent form of Transhumanism (called "the
Expansionary Theory") in Michael Zey's new book, _The Future Factor_? Link
to <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0071343059/> for my review on
Amazon.
Zey advocates enhancing humans in definitely a Transhumanist way, but
criticizes Moravec and Kurzweil for speculating that advanced AI's will
subordinate humans. He points out that this scenario resembles the
Neo-Luddite proposal to subordinate humans to other species or to "Gaia."
Why do humans have to become subordinated to anything, he asks?
Mark Plus
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