[ExI] ethics vs intelligence, RE: Fermi Paradox and Transcension

Will Steinberg steinberg.will at gmail.com
Tue Sep 11 21:22:12 UTC 2012


There are no ethics, the proof being Godel's: in any ethical framework,
there exists a situation whose ethicity cannot be determined.  Thus there
is no correct ethical system.  It's all up to you: decide what you believe
and then do or don't institute it in your reality.
On Sep 11, 2012 4:27 PM, "spike" <spike66 at att.net> wrote:

>
> >> But yes, I am inclined to concede that as a stupid human is less
> >> likely to see a blatant contradiction than a clever one...
>
> > I doubt that. A stupid human is more likely to see certain actions as
> just
> plain 'wrong'. ...
>
>
> Heh.  All ethical dilemmas seem to pale in comparison to those presented to
> the families of Alzheimer's patients.
>
> For instance, imagine an AD patient who seems partially OK some mornings
> for
> the most part, but nearly every afternoon and evening tends to grow more
> and
> more agitated, confused, lost, terrified, angry, worried, combative,
> clearly
> not enjoying life.  But the patient sometimes has a good day, and on those
> occasions clearly states a preference to stay in their own home until there
> is nothing left of the brain.  When is it time to check the patient into
> elder care?
>
> Easy, right?  OK what if the patient's spouse is doing something wrong in
> the medication, such as giving the patient large doses of useless vitamins,
> on pure faith since Paul Harvey said they are good for this or that?  What
> if you come to suspect the patient is receiving sleep aids in the middle of
> the day, and the rest of the family doesn't know?  What is the right thing
> to do there?  Ignore one's own suspicion and go along, knowing that if a
> patient is suffering, well hell, it isn't suffering to be asleep, ja?
> Apparently AD doesn't hurt in the sense that it causes pain, so it doesn't
> keep one awake as something like arthritis would, but the suffering is
> real.
> If a spouse decided the person is better off sleeping most of the time, is
> it appropriate to second-guess that spouse?  Come on extro-ethics hipsters,
> think hard, suggest the right answers, and while you are at it, do again
> make the case that ethical behavior and intelligence are related please?
> And if you answer that one, please try to convince me that a machine-based
> super-intelligence will be super ethical, and if you succeed at either of
> those, I will feel much better thanks.
>
> spike
>
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