RE: Collective Volition

From: Ben Goertzel (ben@goertzel.org)
Date: Mon May 31 2004 - 16:48:59 MDT


> Eliezer,
>
> It's a good essay, and I don't have much to disagree with in
> it, unlike many of your other writings. Regarding this
> aspect of FAI, we don't disagree much, though we may have
> different favorite emphases.

[Sorry, a mailer fluke cut that message off before I was done typing
it.]

In terms of my philosophical writings on the values of "Joy, Growth &
Choice",

http://www.goertzel.org/dynapsyc/2004/PositiveTranscension.htm

http://www.goertzel.org/dynapsyc/2004/GrowthChoiceJoy.htm

I consider this essay of yours to be a very intelligent elaboration on
the notion of "choice" , going significantly deeper than I did in those
essays. When I revise those essays of mine I will include reference to
your discussion of the nature of choice.

One note: I have read other modern philosophers make somewhat similar
analyses of choice and volition. I haven't read that literature in a
long time, so references aren't handy in my mind, but someone whose
specialty is the philosophy of will would be able to reel off a long
list of refs for you. I'd encourage you to dig into this literature in
your "spare time" >grin<, since others have thought about that stuff a
lot more than either of us, and there may be some nuggets of insights in
there amidst the usual philosophological blah-blah-blah. [Apologies if
you have read all that stuff and just chose not to cite or discuss it in
your essay.]

-- Ben G



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