Anders Sandberg's Value System

From: N.BOSTROM@lse.ac.uk
Date: Tue Feb 04 1997 - 08:42:53 MST


          Anders Sandberg wrote:
          
>In my personal ethical system, I regard complex, diverse
>systems as a fundamental good (this is a completely
>arbitrary basis, but it works quite well).
          
          What do you mean when you say that it works quite well? (Do
          you use another non-arbitrary value system to evaluate the
          effects of first one, or how shall we understand this?)
          
          BTW, David Pearce has worked out a theory of why you are so
          fond of complexity. The basic idea is that your dopaminergic
          pathways are hyperactive, so that you almost never
          experience suffering. The closest you come to suffering is
          occasional *boredom*, which therefore, Pearce reasons,
          naturally becomes your notion of evil. But boredom is
          generally caused by repetition and monotony; hence
          complexity, its opposite, come to be seen by you as the
          supreme good. :-)
          
          Nicholas Bostrom n.bostrom@lse.ac.uk
          



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