From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Thu Aug 27 1998 - 04:25:42 MDT
Avatar Polymorph <way@warehouse.net> writes:
>In line with animal liberationists, I am proposing a law to make it
>illegal for human beings to kill animals.
Which of course is 100% infeasible until you have extremely advanced
nanotech making us effectively autotrophic, space-living and able to
peacefully relocate all parasites (guess how many bacteria your own
immune system is killing each second?). Somehow this sounds rather
silly, especially since we don't mind other animals killing other
animals. It is better to look at here-and-now or near future
possibilities instead (for example, what about growing meat
artificially?).
> I believe extensive ethical discussion now would be very wise. Any
> attempt to restrict practical initial telomere therapy to an elite might
> annoy everyday people.
Has anybody really proposed that? At least here on the list the
consensus seems to be the reverse, that new technologies should be
made as available as possible through efficient means. I have noted
that worries about this kind of restriction crop up more among people
who are not part of the transhumanist discussions; they seem to be
based on a fairly limited understanding of economics and politics.
> Perhaps what you need is a Transhumanist Bill of Rights that is simple
> and clear to moderately informed people.
A good idea, in fact. Transhumanism do suffer from misunderstandings
in the public, and this may be a way to amend that. The transhumanist
principles may be a first step.
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
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