[ExI] My confusion, the Kurzweil critique

[Natasha Vita-More]

At 04:55 PM 11/6/2007, you wrote:
>On Tuesday 06 November 2007 06:22, BillK wrote:
> > 'Cause if you have a movement that makes people unhappy, you might as
> > well give up now and do something else.
>
>To transcend the bio would be to also transcend emotion.

Emotions are a big category with a heck of a lot of biological 
history.  Some are beneficial and some are detrimental.  The more we 
learn about neuroscience the better we can discern which are needed 
for he benefit and enjoyment of transhumanity.  I have talked about 
refined emotions over the years and this pretty much sums up my 
views, at the moment anyway.  I'm sure Anders or an expert in 
neuroscience can better explain this, but I'll have a go:  Emotions 
that trigger psychological problems that are abundant in humans, and 
which professionals in many fields have tried to manage to help 
people overcome complex and disturbing emotional problems, are what 
seems to be left-over lower brain functions that we have yet to 
manage.  Emotions that trigger sensorial and cognitive delights are 
beneficial to humans and transhumans, etc.,  because they enlighten, 
inspire, encourage, cause reflections, etc.  Emotions that are 
triggered by first hand experience, or learned experience, are 
important because they act as warning guides (not to sick you hand in 
fire, etc.)    While it would be beneficial to transcend the emotions 
that prevent enlightenment, emotions  are crucial to our well being.

Best,
Natasha


<http://www.natasha.cc/>Natasha<http://www.natasha.cc/> Vita-More
PhD Candidate,  Planetary Collegium - CAiiA, situated in the Faculty 
of Technology,
School of Computing, Communications and Electronics,
University of Plymouth, UK
<http://www.transhumanist.biz/>Transhumanist Arts & Culture
<http://extropy.org/>Thinking About the <http://extropy.org/>Future

If you draw a circle in the sand and study only what's inside the 
circle, then that is a closed-system perspective. If you study what 
is inside the circle and everything outside the circle, then that is 
an open system perspective. - Buckminster Fuller


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