[ExI] h+ in smithsonian

[Stefano Vaj]

On 20 March 2012 12:48, Eugen Leitl <eugen at leitl.org> wrote:

> On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 12:27:11PM +0100, Stefano Vaj wrote:The same
> applies if Earth is to become uninhabitable as the result
> of collective action of the postbiota, most of them outside of the
> gravity well. A dilemma arises among these who want to give a last
> opportunity for lift to these left behind: what is coercion? Is
> the informed consent really that?
>

I am afraid that down this slope there is no real stopping point. Why
should personal risks be dealt with any differently from planetary ones?
What about somebody who is dying from cancer? Somebody who is simply dying
from aging? Somebody who by being "into" a biological body is exposed to
fatal threats at any minute of his or her day?

I personally would decide on a case to case basis, and unvoluntarily
> upload these who do not appear to be really making an informed consent --
> giving an opportunity to opt out again (self-terminate) after some
> acclimatization period.
>

Hey, I am not saying that scenarios do not exist when I would myself opt
for some level of coercion - I am all in favour, eg, of compulsory mass
vaccination whenever a persuasive case can be presented of their
opportunity. Heck, Darwinian pressures in terms of competition from
individuals and communities having opted for different solutions are a form
of coercion themselves, after all.

What I am strongly opposed to is the idea that coercion is a "moral duty",
as in time-honoured monotheistic tradition of the moral duty to kill others
to save them from themselves which is still oh so popular in contemporary
international politics.

-- 
Stefano Vaj
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