[ExI] Humanity+ as self guided evolution

[Stefan Pernar]

Look at it this way: natural selection determines what can exist. Once you
make this your objective in the sense of ensuring continued existence and
include others by modifying the objective to ensure continued co-existence
so it does not lead to contradictions with Kant's categorical imperative you
get the basis for a truly beautiful concept.

The reason being that having the objective of ensuring not only the
existence of the self but at the same time the coexistence with the other it
becomes inseparable from compassion. For in doing so you effectively equate
the self with the other. This will oblige you to love the other just like
you love yourself. You will need to be fair because you want to be fair to
yourself. Altruism becomes egoism with the two concepts becoming meaningless
when following this principle for giving yourself up for others becomes the
same as giving yourself up for yourself and vice versa.

The reason why compassion evolved as the central theme of all world
religions during the time of the axial age (see Karen Armstrong's book The
Great Transformation) is because of its evolutionary advantageous
properties. Why then shouldn't we make use of this and follow evolutionary
concepts in guiding our self modification? What other rational alternatives
are there?

Another good read is Evolution's Arrow by John Stewart (
http://users.tpg.com.au/users/jes999/)

On Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 10:53 AM, Emlyn <emlynoregan at gmail.com> wrote:

> Bzzt, no! Next contestant please...
>
> Seriously, do any of us here think that consideration of natural
> selection should be the guide in transhuman self modification?
>
> I guess in some degenerate sense, bits of natural selection always
> apply. But what does this mean if we are living indefinite lifespans?
> Or if we are reproducing by creating new genomes from scratch rather
> than the genetic lucky dip we run now? Not so much I think.
>
> And really, do we want natural selection involved here? It has always
> seemed to me that the whole point of transhumanism was to get away
> from nature's brutal bootstrap, and take charge of the processes of
> life, so that we can substitute in our own arbitrarily evolved but
> much loved values; love, compassion, fairness, altruism, opportunity!
>
> Invoking natural selection in the same breath as transhumanism just
> implies the bad days of eugenics. No.
>
> --
> Emlyn
>
> http://emlyntech.wordpress.com - coding related
> http://point7.wordpress.com - downshifting and ranting
> (http://emlynoregan.com is currently down, see
>
> http://point7.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/scarcity-mode-emlynoregancom-is-down/
> )
>
> 2009/1/12 Stefan Pernar <stefan.pernar at gmail.com>:
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > The quote "The only constant is change" is commonly attributed to the
> Greek
> > philosopher Heraclitus and embodies the insight that nothing ever stays
> the
> > same. Charles Darwin later amended this idea to include the concept of a
> > qualifying retention mechanism favoring certain changes over others by
> > weeding out those changes that are detrimental to our ancestors
> existence:
> > natural selection.
> >
> > We have reached a point in our history when very soon technology will
> enable
> > us to make virtually arbitrary changes to ourself. The mechanism of
> natural
> > selection however will continue to apply. Taking the evolutionary
> > perspective into account in our decision process concerning what changes
> to
> > make and which ones to discard will be an existential guide in helping us
> to
> > affect a positive transcension by preempting natural selection. For only
> > that which does not run against the plan of evolution has a chance to
> > continue to be.
> >
> > I am running for the board of directors of Humanity+. Do vote for me if
> you
> > want to see this philosophy represented on the board =>
> > http://www.transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/more/hbrdc/
> >
> > Thank you for your time and all the best for the new year of 2009.
> >
> > Stefan Pernar
> > --
> > Stefan Pernar
> > Skype: Stefan.Pernar
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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-- 
Stefan Pernar
Skype: Stefan.Pernar
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