[ExI] How do we construct workable institutions and ethical behaviors?

[John Grigg]

Anders Sandberg wrote (from the "Wiki entry of Critical Theory of
Posthumani​sm" thread):
But I do think there is a major challenge to update our enlightenment views
to work in a postmodern and indeed posthuman world. If free will, rights,
rationality, individuality and species membership are less sharp than
assumed by past thinkers, how do we construct workable institutions and
ethical behaviors?
>>>


Anders, I wish someone of your caliber would devote their career to the
creation of workable institutions and ethical behaviors.  I am horrified at
the degree of Wall Street & corporate shady behavior (which often gets
rewarded, rather than punished), along with the financial seduction of
political leaders.  And of course this is not just an American problem.  I
see the notion of a "social contract"  rapidly falling apart.


I dearly hope the massive greed/lack of effective oversight/siphoning
of funds/destruction of economic strength can be successfully dealt with,
but with the best and brightest generally working for corporations and not
as gov't regulators, and politicians being in the pockets of the
corporations, I have doubts that we will see real change.  What can be done?


Ironically, I now see the hopefully coming Singularity (even if it is a
soft take-off) as a means to  finally successfully deal with the massive
corruption we see.  I suppose I envision A.G.I. being vastly more effective
regulators than humans.  But perhaps machines will not be granted the
authority to become directly involved in these issues.


The here and now solution to my mind is ending the massive public apathy to
the economic nightmares we have experienced, and holding leaders
accountable.  I would have thought, considering how so many in the middle
class have suffered, that there would have been many more people marching
on behalf of Occupy Wall Street, or doing other things to get involved and
create change.  I think the corporate and political elite at least for now,
assume correctly that most people will act like sheep and not agitate for
serious change, and so the structural/institutional change has not been
made to seriously try to prevent further economic disasters.


John
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/attachments/20111205/77fe59aa/attachment.html>