[ExI] Slavery in the Future

[Lee Corbin]

Bryan writes

> On Friday 18 April 2008, Rafal Smigrodzki wrote:
> 
>> ### The condition of slavery may be said to exist when the legitimate
>> self-ownership interest of a person is infringed on by violent means.
>> A self-ownership interest is created when a sentient process develops
>> a desire to control its own goal-oriented behavior. If a sentient
> 
> What is ownership, and prove to me that it is a property of the 
> universe, except in socio-stuff.

What? You'd be as quick as anyone to call the police if someone
started taking *your* stuff. You'd probably end up saying that
you owned it.  And I'd love for the judge to say "What is ownership,
and prove to me that it is a property of the  universe, except in
socio-stuff."

Now *democracy* is closer to being human---er, or (as I think you
mean the term) "socio-stuff" than *ownership*.  It's evolutionary
origins are clear, and it makes total sense that it would develop
among social animals. Okay, if it is socio-stuff, so what?

Besides "property" is a rather all inclusive term philosphy-wise.
Suppose an anthropologist visits one of Robert Sheckley's planets,
and each person there has a cousin, father, mother, etc., best friend,
wife, brother-in-law, etc., a priest, rabbi, and confessor, etc., and
also a torgrendu. But it takes years for any of them to figure out
what a torgrendu is, and then he mysteriously dies.  Well, clearly
it's *something* to them, and no doubt has a consistent pattern
in the brains of the aliens, and so has a consistent definition that
makes sense, and so is a real property of their society and their
mentalities.

Lee