Re: Maximize the renormalized human utility function!

From: Tennessee Leeuwenburg (tennessee@tennessee.id.au)
Date: Sun Aug 13 2006 - 17:33:42 MDT


Michael Anissimov wrote:
> Tennessee,
>
>> Well, only if you completely ignore the effect of the environment of the
>> individual and all the other consequent effects of that idea.
>
> What? If I copy the most benevolent person I know, then they will be
> bevolent, no matter the environment. Humans are flexible - they
> adjust. Someone won't automatically turn evil just if they're placed
> in a slightly different environment.
>
I confess, I missed the distinction between cloning-as-duplication and
the duplication of an adult person. My apologies. I thought you meant
using nanotechnology as an aid to the cloning process.

Taken to extremes, I think that person-copying would result significant
social problems, but that such a thing on a small scale might have
advantages. One could run a eugenic argument in favour of small-scale
copying, and against large-scale copying.

Cheers,
-T



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