[extropy-chat] examples of rational irrationalism

[Samantha Atkins]

On Dec 6, 2006, at 6:39 AM, Lee Corbin wrote:

> The Avanguardian writes
>
>> Al Brooks wrote:
>>
>>> The question is: do rational reasons exist for
>>> irrational thinking and behavior that enable one to
>>> escape irrational reality?
>>
>> When it comes to rational irrationalism, I think these
>> guys take the cake:
>>
>> http://www.vhemt.org/
>
> Why do you think that eliminating mankind is necessarily
> irrational?

Is rationality a free-floating abstraction disconnected from values,  
what does the valuing and what is considered valuable?  How would that  
itself be "rational"?


> 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?

Arbitrary goals that include one's on destruction and destruction of  
one's species are not themselves subject to a meta-judgement as to  
their rationality?   Where is the grounding for these abstractions  
being tossed about?

How can it be rational to claim a naturally evolved species is  
"unnatural"?  How can it be rational to destroy the only thing on this  
rock vaguely capable of rationality?  Are we so sickened by our dizzy  
abstractions?

- samantha