From: Harvey Newstrom (mail@HarveyNewstrom.com)
Date: Fri May 24 2002 - 23:43:13 MDT
On Friday, May 24, 2002, at 10:32 pm, Lee Corbin wrote:
> We have to back off a little here because we aren't getting
> through to each other. First, yes, we are talking about the
> official Extropian Principles.
> We are *not* calling those things politically correct dogma.
> Again, I repeat, I don't have any problem with the
> principles as written.
OK. This much is very true. We are totally misunderstanding each
other. We are so far down the road on this argument, that we are
discussing whose fault it is, who is misquoting who, and who won't argue
right. Thanks for setting us back on track.
>> - Which Extropian Principles are not useful as tools?
>
> Sorry, but I just don't think of them as tools, any more than
> I would think of the Declaration of Independence as a tool.
> Only cults treat documents that way, e.g., Chairman Mao's
> Little Red Book.
This is an interesting point for discussion, and possibly the root of
our misunderstandings. I see the Extropian Principles, specifically
under Rational Thought, as describing a methodology for evaluating new
thoughts. I imagine a scientific methodology, rules of logic, and
procedures for conducting rational thought. When someone proposes new
ideas with which I disagree, I like to examine them with these tools. I
look for flaws in their scientific methods. I look for flaws in their
logic, specifically for classic logical fallacies. I look for
deviations with other Extropian Principles as clues that maybe such
ideas don't support the same ideas that we usually support. This is not
meant to be a political acceptance test, but a methodology using tools.
You apparently have a totally different view of the Extropian
Principles. I would love to hear detailed descriptions of how you see
the Extropian Principles and how you use them. This would be great
fodder for refining the Principles in the future. If we can figure out
our differences of interpretation, we can help Max clarify the
Principles in their ever-evolving quest for improvement.
-- Harvey Newstrom, CISSP <www.HarveyNewstrom.com> Principal Security Consultant <www.Newstaff.com>
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