From: natashavita@earthlink.net
Date: Wed Aug 08 2001 - 12:17:23 MDT
From: Chen Yixiong, Eric cyixiong@yahoo.com
Just a quick post...
>I have a friend who once, after I expressed my prediction that computing intelligence would superceed human intelligence, proclaimed this belief a religion. AT that time I didn't know how to reply.<
Sorry your friend didn't realize it was your perception based on multi-tracking information you had obtained rather than a need to have a guru.
>Today, looking back with a dictionary and more knowledge of these concepts, I can proclaim Extropianism not a religion, even if Extropians base their belief with varying levels of faith.<
Basing understanding on a firm belief (faith) in something for which there is no proof is not accurate. While extropians certainly have a belief that what might seem intangible at this moment will eventually come to pass, this belief is not based on "no proof". It is based on the possibility of events taking placed based on probability. The probability of certain events taking place is based on substantive evidence. However this evidence is in an embryonic or adolescent stage, or even in the conceptual stage, the engineering of ideas is not to be dismissed.
More subjectively, I have faith that I will do the right thing. This is based on past experiences in which I either did the wrong thing and caught myself either before or after getting in trouble and cleaned up my act. Or, more often, having been given the option to do the wrong thing or the right thing and chosen the right thing as better for me in the long run. My "faith" is based on knowledge about my own behavior.
More relatedly, the extropian philosophy is an understanding, not a faith, that certain events could and probably will occur based on knowledge of historical experiences of humanity, technology, science and creativity, and also an understanding that if we pursue our ideas, they probably will come to pass. If a person completes her or his goals 9 times out of 10, then she/he has a certain amount of proof that he/she will complete the next goal.
(snip)
Any comments?
Isn’t it tiring to have to explain that extropy is not a relgion, but a philosophy? Interesting how people don’t seem to understand what a philosophy, or an ideology for that matter.
best,
Natasha
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