From: Michael S. Lorrey (retroman@turbont.net)
Date: Tue Sep 26 2000 - 13:14:03 MDT
"Corwyn J. Alambar" wrote:
>
> How to bring up this point? I know I'm not the only one to wonder this, but
> here goes...
>
> Is the core idea of Extropy (as I understand it, summarized by "Upward and
> Outward") predicated on a libertarian philosophy? Does one have to accept
> all the other excess baggage that comes with libertarianism (i.e. absolute
> freedom to own and use firearms, no centralized legal systems, decentralized
> or no environmental regulations, no public investment from non-private
> organizations, etc.) to be a true extropian?
>
> I ask this question as a believer in the concepts of expanding beyond what
> are accepted as "common" limitations - overcoming such barriers as aging
> pathologies and death, limitations of the physical body (strength, endurance,
> etc.), limitations of input bandwidth and storage, gravity wells, the speed of
> light... All of these things that we can and SHOULD overcome.
>
> I do not, and cannot, accept the fundamental assumptions that seem to underly
> libertarianism - the axioms, often implicit, are ones I cannot accept, just
> as I cannot accept the axioms that underly Christianity or Scientology. I
> can accept an dsympathize with many of the ideas underlying the political
> philosophy, and am at least friendly to most. My issues are those of
> implementation - the practical questions that need to be answered before a
> political philosophy becomes a political system. That having been said,
> I need to ask this in plain language:
>
> Is everyone out there on this list a libertarian, or is that just the air this
> list puts forward? Because if that's the cost of entry... I don't know if I
> can continue to provide constructive input into a discussion where I don't
> buy into the same basic assumptions.
One of the great things about libertarianism is consent. I don't care if YOU
want to live in a repressive communal society, so long as you don't force ME to
do the same, or if I want to try it out, you can't force me to stay if I change
my mind. The consent of the individual in all matters is its core ethic, and one
that I think that extropy shares. Any philosophy that shares that ethic as well
can peacefully co-exist and co-operate with libertarians and a libertarian
society. If you can accept that, then you really should not have any trouble
with extropy OR libertarianism.
You talk of your problems with implementation of libertarianism, but you have
not stated what your problems are with such implementation. Do you think that
people should be allowed to force others to do what they do not wish to do? Do
you mistakenly think that libertarians would initiate force to make others live
as libertarians wish to? Please explain....
Mike
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