[ExI] Inevitability of the Singularity (was Re: To Max, re Natasha and Extropy (Kevin Haskell)

[Stefano Vaj]

On 8 July 2011 20:25, Samantha Atkins <sjatkins at mac.com> wrote:

> Some day I will believe humanity has become more rational.  It will be just
> after it stops talking about GW as being its main concern in the next few
> decades.  Even the IPCC studies to no support the kind of alarm bandied
> about on this subject.  The median temperature gain over the century from
> the many studies presented is 1.5 C.  I think it is pretty obvious that that
> isn't going to wipe out humanity any time soon and is not anywhere near as
> pressing a threat as say economic meltdown and/or major energy wars.    But
> when I say as much even extremely bright people act as if I am promoting
> creationism.
>

Economics tells us that economic subjects behave "rationally" (or at least
according to game theory and if taken in large enough numbers) in maximising
their own interests and preferences.

But it does not imply in the least that such interests are "rational" in any
plausible sense of the word (btw, even the accumulation of exchange units,
that is money, may be plausibly considered as irrational in certain
contexts).

As a consequence, rather than the so-traditional argument between
"selfishness" and "altruism", I am ready to concede that all behaviours are
fundamentally selfish, and are more interested in considering what motivate
the value choices which are *behind* economic behaviours, that is, all
behaviours.

--
Stefano Vaj
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