From: Doug Bailey (Doug.Bailey@ey.com)
Date: Mon Aug 24 1998 - 08:11:49 MDT
Avatar Polymorph writes:
> There have been discussions here before about
> uploading animals. And I think a large number of
> our discussions apply to boosting the utility of
> matter - be it animal, vegetable or mineral.
The problem with taking a reductionist's stance is
it becomes difficult to determine when to stop
reducing. Matter is just a temporary state of energy,
do why dwell upon that state? Why dwell upon energy
since it is an artifact of M-branes, D-branes, or
P-Branes (depending on your preferred flavor)? Etc.
Transhumanism is a philosophy, an outlook on the
malleability of the current "human condition" and the
idea that its a good thing to explore the possibilities
of existence, irregardless of how wild the pathways
are that such thinking leads us. The problem with
Sentism is formulating a system of precepts that aren't
(1) truisms - so broad-based as to be irrelevant, or (2)
expanding the scope of our discussion to the point that
we are paralyzed by the sheer volume of issues that
present themselves.
I think Transhumanism balances the potentialities of
the future with our current situation quite well. Within
its rubrick we are able to explore a variety of issues
that have yet to be thoroughly explored. Perhaps, once
we've explored (and experienced) the events and issues
we discuss on this list and other fora, we can turn
our attentions to the next era, whatever it may be.
Doug
doug.bailey@ey.com
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