From: m.l.vere@durham.ac.uk
Date: Sun May 14 2006 - 15:54:53 MDT
Quoting John K Clark <jonkc@att.net>:
> <m.l.vere@durham.ac.uk>
>
> > suspending ones disbelief concerning morality in everyday life may well
> > lead to a happier more fulfilling human life. However, once radical
> > transhuman technologies arrive, this will no-longer be nescissarilly
> > true.
>
> I would think that for a transhuman morality would be even more important
> than it is for us. If you are a Jupiter brain it would be critical to have a
> good relationship with other Jupiter brains as a war between them would
> likely be rather unpleasant for them and anything else in the universe.
I believe that it will be very unlikely that there will be multiple
transhumans of anywhere near the same level (at least at the top level) of
power/intelligence - the most powerful would never let anyone else catch up.
Morality for cooperation will be unnesscissary.
> > I define nihilist as 'one who holds no belief however
> > widespread, not supported by proof'.
>
> You seem to believe that your existence is better than your nonexistence,
Not really, but not the other way either.
> and I'll bet you believe pleasure is better than pain, but I've not seen any
> proof of that.
Depends what you mean by better. I know i dont like pain, and i like pleasure -
the proof of this comes from my memory of my qualia and also my knowledge of
anatomy, evolutionary psycology etc.
> > A moral nihilist could have all your pleasurable states of mind by
> > recognising this (as I do) and suspending his disbelief most of the time -
> > without cleaving blindly to moralistic dogma.
>
> That could be the explanation of the Fermi Paradox, the reason we can't find
> any ET's. If it were possible to change your emotions to anything you
> wanted, alter modes of thought, radically change your personality, swap your
> goals as well as your philosophy of life at the drop of a hat it would be
> very dangerous. Once you change yourself you may not want to change back,
> even if your behavior became bizarre or suicidal.
>
> Ever want to accomplish something but been unable to because it's difficult,
> well just change your goal in life to something simple and do that; better
> yet, flood your mind with a feeling of pride and self satisfaction and don't
> bother accomplishing anything at all. Think all this is a terrible idea and
> stupid as well, no problem, just change your mind (and I do mean CHANGE YOUR
> MIND) now you think it's a wonderful idea.
>
> Complex mechanisms don't do well in positive feedback loops, not
> electronics, not animals, not people, not ET's and not even Jupiter brains.
I was talking about in life now - pre-singularity.
Though once ccomplete mental revision becomes possible: Providing that doing
so does not give someone else the power over you required to induce negative
qualia i dont see what the problem would be.
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