From: Dave Sill (dsill@highland.net)
Date: Wed Oct 04 2000 - 16:38:31 MDT
hal@finney.org wrote:
>
> In David Brin's novels it is for ethical reasons, I think. We do it
> to improve the lives of animals, because greater intelligence is a
> good thing.
Intelligence is good, but does greater intelligence automatically mean
better lives? Maybe chimps with chimp intelligence are in a "sweet spot":
intelligent enough to be comfortable, but stupid enough not to worry about
higher concepts like mortality, the future, etc. Would an earthworm with
human intelligence be happy, or would it be frustrated by its short lifespan
and physical limitations, at least compared to humans? How do we know we'd
be doing them a favor by uplifting them?
-Dave
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