[ExI] Evil genius/was Re: No need for radical changes in human nature

[Aware]

On Fri, Jul 10, 2009 at 8:28 AM, Dan<dan_ust at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I, too, wouldn't make a strong case for intelligence increase leading to lower crime overall.  But I do think there's some correlation -- even if only because intelligent people tend to, overall, think longer term.  Does this mean their criminal schemes might simply be longer term ones?  Perhaps, but my guess is, on average, the longer term the think, the less inclined it will be toward harming others.  Needn't be so, as one can imagine someone, say, with the long term plan of exterminating all life.  He might think long and hard and know this will require cooperation with many others and at least some level of social harmony to carry out -- though, presuming almost everyone else would be against such a plan, it'd require massive deception which, too, would seem to require thinking ahead and a higher level of intelligence.

Dan, although I agree with the thrust of your thinking, I would
suggest you consider, rather than "thinking longer term", "thinking
within a greater context."

Thinking longer term is good, and supports your line of argument, but
being essentially sequential, it's like constructing a cantilever,
weaker the further it is extended.

Thinking within a greater context exploits a wider, multidimensional
base, like the more robust construction of a pyramid.

Either way you aim to integrate the maximum volume of relevant
considerations.  The former seems simpler, in a 20th Century way of
thinking about prediction that assumed increasing instrumentality
implied increasing certainty. The latter is more robust and more
appropriate to maximizing instrumental effectiveness within an
increasingly uncertain future.

- Jef