From: Nick Bostrom (bostrom@ndirect.co.uk)
Date: Mon Mar 30 1998 - 09:32:10 MST
T0Morrow <T0Morrow@aol.com> wrote:
> >(7) Transhumanists support scientific humanism. Though as a matter of
> >fact most transhumanists believe in individual freedom, transhumanism
> >in itself is politically neutral.
>
> Can you really defend that last clause? Clearly, from what the rest of the
> document says, transhumanists should condemn a political movement that bans,
> say, scientific research. Backing away from those earlier statements comes
> off as worse than inaccurate and confusing. I think you would do better to
> say something like "transhumanism supports no particular politician, party, or
> platform."
Ok, what about:
(7) Transhumanists support scientific humanism and advocate the
well-being of all sentience (whether in artificial intellects, humans,
non-human animals, or possible extraterrestrial species). Though most
transhumanists believe in individual freedom and the free market,
transhumanism in itself is politically neutral: it does not support
any particular party, politician or political platform.
> To conclude, I would say that your statement is one of policy rather than of
> principle.
Yes, I suggest we call it The Transhumanist Declaration 2.2.
_____________________________________________________
Nick Bostrom
Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method
London School of Economics
n.bostrom@lse.ac.uk
http://www.hedweb.com/nickb
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