RE: Reactions to Bostrom's Simulation Essay

From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Wed Apr 02 2003 - 01:26:00 MST


Robin writes

> > Therefore not only is this* possibly a near pain-free emulation,
> > but I'm surprised that theologians haven't used a form of the
> > above argument to enable them to suppose that God did after all
> > create the best of all possible worlds, vindicating Dr. Pangloss.
>
> You're saying that as long as I didn't actually undergo having my
> spine crushed[1], but only remember it as though I did, it's morally
> OK for a being to have created a universe where I could
> non-experience that?

No, not quite. I guess I'd say that it's not totally evil for
an entity to have done so.

But as for being morally "okay", no, suffering of any form is
inadmissible (contradicting rationalizations for suffering in
another thread), including our displeasure at having apparently
undergone sorrow.

> I find that completely absurd, sorry.

Yes, I also find it absurd. While it's logically possible,
even to the point that all your memories of suffering are
false, it's about as silly as supposing pink fairies are
pushing all the atoms and electrons around.

Lee

> -Robin
> [1]: I fell off a cliff.
>
> --
> http://www.digitalkingdom.org/~rlpowell/ *** I'm a *male* Robin.
> .i le pamoi velru'e zo'u crepu le plibu taxfu
> .i le remoi velru'e zo'u mo .i le cimoi velru'e zo'u ba'e prali .uisai
> http://www.lojban.org/ *** to sa'a cu'u lei pibyta'u cridrnoma toi



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