[extropy-chat] is spreading ones own genes relevant, or just an anachronism ?

[Dirk Bruere]

On 8/23/05, Robin Hanson <rhanson at gmu.edu> wrote:
> At 04:28 PM 8/23/2005, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote:
> >>I am informed by both my own (very powerful) instinctual urges and
> >>tendencies, and by works of authors (such as Jared Diamond in The 3rd
> >>Chimpanzee) that it is my goal to spread my genetic material, or progeny,
> >>as far and as wide and as varied as possible.
> >
> >No, this is your genes' goal.  *Your* goals are to love, to live, to
> >have fun, to have sex, to eat good food rich and sugar in fat, to
> >increase your status, to find a good long-term mate, to raise
> >children together, etc. etc.
> 
> Genes gave most people goals like these in an attempt to achieve the
> genes' goals.  So you may well find that you have goals like
> these.  But in a sense you can choose your goals.  If you want to
> identify with your genes, or your memes, or your nation, well then
> helping those things can be what you want.  Of course it is easy to
> fool yourself into thinking you want something unusual, when in fact
> you really want what most everyone else wants.
 
Maybe Fermi's Paradox is explained by the fact tha PostHumans (or ETs)
will be motivated by nothing, will identify with nothing and will do
nothing. The reductio ad absurdam of motivation analysis.

Dirk