From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Mon Aug 13 2001 - 17:59:31 MDT
From: "Anders Sandberg" <asa@nada.kth.se>
> Overall the trend seems to be towards more freedom, but
> that requires continual intense debating and also making sure we do not
> end up with a lot of disparate rights but no overall right to our
> bodies.
Well, I'm not so sure the trend is towards more freedom where I live. The CHP
(Cognitively Handicapped Police), are in the habit of arresting and
imprisoning people simply because they have altered the level of alcohol in
their blood. And if there's a so-called "national emergency," young men have
no right to their bodies at all, because their bodies are subject to military
conscription.
> I think there is a certain internal resistance in most people to change
> their bodies because it means dealing with changing one's self-image
If morphological freedom extends to changing the brain, this resistance can be
overcome chemically (and easily). A change in brain chemistry via psychoactive
drugs can dramatically alter self-image.
> (this is why transsexuals are far more eager to do it than many
> handicapped - their self-images are from the start different from their
> bodies and remain so, while many disabled people adapt their body images
> to their bodies). Since most of us are human-looking from the start and
> have human-like self images I guess radical changes will not easily
> occur for a long time. Similar things goes for mental restructuring.
Yes, I see what you mean. I would nonetheless suggest that a rich old geezer
may find the prospect of morphing into an energetic youth rather attractive.
That's the kind of morphological freedom I think has a bright and popular
future. So maybe you could add that perspective to your paper.
©¿©¬
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