From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Mon May 27 2002 - 15:02:22 MDT
Max More relates
> First, I -- not "people" -- wrote the Extropian Principles.
> Second, no they are not intended to simply describe what
> some people thought at a particular time.
Thanks for clarifying. I should have been aware that it was
the work of *exactly* one author, but I was not. Yet when I
wrote "some people", I did intend that to also cover the
possible case of one person. In that light, it does seem
inescapable that the Extropian Principles were at one
particular time (and others) what Max More thought.
> In the last version, I wrote that the Principles are
> a "codification". I was using this term according to
> the definition of "codify" as "To arrange or systematize".
This sure beats the term that first came to my mind, i.e., "summary".
> They are not absolutes. That's why the Principles are
> open to revision, if a more coherent, complete, or
> accurate codification becomes apparent and survives
> critical analysis.
I believe that everyone understands that now.
> Because of extremely difficult to resolve arguments over the objectivity of
> values, I have *not* presented the Principles as universal values for
> everyone. I *do* believe that these principles *work* for everyone, but I
> am not certain that everyone is rationally compelled to accept any
> particular basic values. I leave that as an open question. Even for many
> who see values as ultimately subjective (why live rather than not...) I
> know that the Principles make good sense as a codification -- so long as
> those persons ultimately value life.
That bears repeating.
> On the other hand, I do not present [the Extropian
> Principles] as universally compelling values. I
> leave that option open -- it's just not part of
> the Principles themselves. That question is a
> meta-ethical question, whereas you can think of
> the Extropian Principles as an ethical (and
> existential) framework.
That should go some distance in helping to resolve
some current conflicts.
Lee
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