[extropy-chat] learning to appreciate pessimists

[The Avantguardian]

--- c c <beb_cc at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Does it derive from subject-object dualism, e.g. "we
> are in this world but not of this world"?
> 
> 
Yes, precisely. It stems from basic instincts of
survival and primitive notions of self and is
reinforced in large part by a western religion that
teaches two very damaging notions. One being that this
world and life are a necessarily temporary. The other
being that we are above, better than, and separate
from everything that flies, swims, or crawls this
world with us. A biologist can see the primordial worm
in our genes and there are saints and villians amongst
the dolphins too. If we differ in any fundamental way
from the other creatures it is in that we have minds.
And then, only to the extent of quantity as opposed to
some difference of qualia. Thus a simple bacterium, by
possesing a system of restriction enzymes that can
recognize foreign gene sequences from invading DNA
such as viruses and transposons and destroy them, can
be said to hold a rudimentary biochemical notion of
"self". And by swimming away from a drop of vinegar
can be said to exhibit an "instinct" for survival or a
"fear" of death. Truly Dawkins needed no disclaimer by
way of excuse for ascribing anthropomorphic motives to
genes . Genes do not just seem to be selfish, they
really ARE selfish. Just like a cockroach does not
just seem to fear death, a cockroach DOES fear death. 

The Avantguardian 
is 
Stuart LaForge
alt email: stuart"AT"ucla.edu

"The surest sign of intelligent life in the universe is that they haven't attempted to contact us." 
-Bill Watterson


		
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