From: Mikko Rauhala (mjrauhal@cc.helsinki.fi)
Date: Thu Jun 12 2008 - 13:33:14 MDT
to, 2008-06-12 kello 10:58 +1000, Stathis Papaioannou kirjoitti:
> Evolution might not favour foolish goals or fixed goals, but that does
> not necessarily have anything to do with intelligence.
For your benefit, I'll point out something I thought only Clark was
confused about; there are no foolish goals (as such). Evolution does not
favor goals that interfere with the survival of the lineage of the
individual in question, but this already is a value judgement (and a
goal, if you will). This may be clear to you and merely shorthand for
the obvious statement "Evolution might not favor goals which are foolish
in the context of trying to maximize lineage survival". In that case
this note should still be useful for the conversation as it appears to
me that assuming that parties here will fill in such statements
correctly is not warranted.
Indeed you are correct though about goals being fixed having absolutely
nothing to do with intelligence. Evolution, on the other hand, indeed
favors less than fixed goals since it can't easily produce clean
hierarchies with more abstract top-level goals; a mishmash of competing
goals, some of which will flux with time, is far easier. (This is of
course not an endorsement of Clark's views on just how easily our goals
change; he rather seems to be decidedly oblivious to the existence of
goals that are not putting significant pressure on his decisions Right
This Instant. Thus it apparently seems to him that goals pop in and out
of existence magically all the time.)
-- Mikko Rauhala - mjr@iki.fi - <URL:http://www.iki.fi/mjr/> Transhumanist - WTA member - <URL:http://www.transhumanism.org/> Singularitarian - SIAI supporter - <URL:http://www.intelligence.org/>
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