From: Stathis Papaioannou (stathisp@gmail.com)
Date: Thu Dec 03 2009 - 17:46:12 MST
2009/12/4 John McNamara <harlequin@novastar.org>:
> sort of , yes
> my interest in this thread is to point out that the anticipatory
> thought processes of informed humans considering any form of upload
> will be varied and it is not good science to dismissively lump them
> into 2 categories "the rational" and "the soul biased".
>
> some will be eager
> some will be ambivalent
> some will specifically fear losing their soul
> some will subconsciously specifically fear losing their soul
> some will be cautious in principle
> some will see the instant upload as a logical illusion
> etc etc
>
> I'm guessing you mention 'fear of flying' specifically because of its
> reputation for average people to illogically assign it a much higher
> level of risk than than the data shows. They should logically have a
> greater fear of road travel but few do.
>
> However, ability to rationally calculate risk accurately is only part
> of the question
> If ones logical objection is to the destruction of the physical brain
> that enters an instant upload booth, then the fact that the
> probability of the booth working as designed is 100% or 99.999999%
> doesn't matter.
>
> irrationally calculated risk of flying doesn't map to logical
> objections to events that 100% likely to occur.
I wasn't referring to the miscalculation of risk with fear of flying,
but to an irrational fear of being a kilometre up in the air in an
aluminium tube even though you know it is perfectly safe. If you know
that destructive uploading will not damage your soul any more than
ordinary life will, but are still afraid of it, then that is an
irrational fear. Still, irrational fear is real fear and just as some
people will refuse to fly there will be those who refuse to upload or
teleport.
-- Stathis Papaioannou
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