[extropy-chat] Are ancestor simulations immoral? (An attempted survey)

[Lee Corbin]

Jeffrey writes

> Just to hopefully start things off: I honestly consider 
> ancestor simulations as extremely *immoral* based on the 
> inherent widespread suffering of the individuals involved. 
> Also because allowing such a simulation is a precedent for 
> allowing the creation of even more ethically questionable 
> simulations later on.

To me it depends on *one* single variable: during the time
period in question, is or is not the life of the ancestor
worth living?

In particular, is the entire quality of the individual's
life enhanced or diminished by your re-simulation?

If the experience your ancestor---and, what the devil, anyone
else to whom this question applied, whether or not they were
your ancestor, whether or not they were human, or whether or
not they ever existed---is positive, then you've done a good
thing, otherwise you've done harm.

That's my answer.

There are subtle ramifications to this that I won't take the
time to explore in detail now, e.g., is this an *exact* re-
enactment of previous events?  does your action constitute
the first step---even if very painful---for the eventual
entire resuscitation and immortality of the individual?
is the experience positive from that *person's* viewpoint
but negative from your view?  and so on. (My answers to those,
for what they're worth is, Yes, Yes, and Yes.)

There is also the interesting but actually unrelated question
of whether you should have the legal *right* to do so, given
that you own all the equipment that will be necessary, which
might inspire a different thread.

Lee