[extropy-chat] Hubert Mania's Comments

[Natasha Vita-More]

At 08:42 PM 6/27/04 -0500, Damien wrote:

> >Robert Bradbury is the quintessential "DEVILS ADVOCATE."
>
>A devil's advocate is someone assigned the unpleasant task of 
>investigating what is claimed to be *good*, *admirable*, *emulable* 
>behavior, and disclosing any corrupt hidden aspects. It is not someone who 
>*proposes* diabolical behavior.

Here is my encyclopedic definition: "One who argues against a cause or 
position, not as a committed opponent but simply for the sake of argument 
or to determine the validity of the cause or position."

I thought Robert was arguing against the world accepting terrorism and 
terrorists by proposing *his* personal view - to kill them all.  Does the 
Devil's Advocate have to be investigating something that is claimed to be 
good on its surface but is really bad?  Can the Devil's Advocate 
investigate something that appears to be bad on the surface and is actually 
bad?

> >He is known for his ability to push the envelope to get people to think.
>
>That is often the case with Robert's scientific posts, which is why I and 
>others enjoy reading them. However, the world does not need any 
>provocation to think that, hey, maybe mass murder is a really great idea. 
>This is what the critics of Robert's post (and its similar predecessors) 
>have been pointing out. Whether mass murder would provide all kinds of 
>useful advantages and spoils to the murderers is simply not a discussion 
>worth having (outside a criminal gang, a psychiatric asylum, or a 
>posturing group of spotty, resentful teenagers). Indeed, it is a 
>discussion worth stopping as quickly as possible.

Yes, Robert is quite remarkable about his scientific posts, and why I read 
them too.

I agree with you that the thread was frightful, and it got people to think 
about how very appalling it is.

N


>Despite that, I wish Hubert had expressed his (partly justified) 
>indignation in a more focused way.
>
>Damien Broderick
>
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Natasha Vita-More
http://www.natasha.cc
----------
President, Extropy Institute  http://www.extropy.org
Founder, Transhumanist Arts & Culture  http://www.transhumanist.biz
http://www.transhuman.org
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