[extropy-chat] examples of rational irrationalism

[The Avantguardian]

--- Lee Corbin <lcorbin at rawbw.com> wrote:

>> > http://www.vhemt.org/
> 
> Why do you think that eliminating mankind is
> necessarily
> irrational?

Oh lets see . . . natural selection, economics, game
theory, Utility(Something) >= Utility(null set). Such
nonsense is the abyss that Neitzsche warned us about. 

>  Don't you concur with the (generally
> accepted
> here) version of what it means to be rational? 
> Namely,
> as Rafal put it, "rationality (to use the dictionary
> meaning)
> is optimizing behavior to achieve goals".   So if
> your goal
> is a pristine Earth free of unnatural (i.e. human)
> effects,
> then what's irrational about trying to get rid of
> everyone,
> including yourself?

Rational means to an irrational goal is in itself
irrational by the simple virtue of GIGO.
 
> > Why should we care more about nature than the rest
> of
> > nature cares about itself or us for that matter?
> We
> > are the ONLY part of nature that cares one bit
> about
> > nature. That is more than enough, in my opinion,
> to
> > make up for all the damage we might cause. Unlike
> an
> > asteroid or a volcano, we will write poems in
> loving
> > memory of the trees we kill. Dylan Thomas must be
> > rolling over in his grave. 
> 
> I agree with your prescriptions!  Your goals for
> humanity
> overlap with mine.

Keep in mind trees are damn important for us obligate
oxygen breathers. Kill too many at your peril, unless
you are machine or an alien methanogen.

Stuart LaForge
alt email: stuart"AT"ucla.edu

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Phillip K. Dick


 
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