[ExI] Slowly moving important questions into the mainstream [Was: new names]

[Anders Sandberg]

Brian Manning Delaney <listsb at infinitefaculty.org> , 21/7/2014 3:50 PM:
 
Was at a get-together with some philosophers here in Stockholm -- a  
mixture of (so-called...) analytic philosophers from Stockholm  
University and Continental philosophers from Södertörn University,
Haha, the stereotypes of Stockholm academia remain true! :-)
 and  
lo and behold, a heated discussion of Anders' just-(re-)published  
Guardian article arose.
Any useful comments?
 Good to see academic types -- esp. those who  
typically focus on Hegel and Heidegger & co. -- taking up these issues.  
The article seemed deftly designed to pose the important questions  
without getting into realms, or using terms (like "singularity"), that  
can come across as flaky. 
Yes, I deliberately tried to avoid that. Both as good popular science (do not feed the flakes :-) and to protect the field. Heaven knows there are enough doomsday people around, and far too few xrisk reduction people. I also made the article linkbait by turning it into a list. 

The role of the philosopher is still fundamentally Socratic in my view:  
getting people to question what they think they know. So, Socratically  
well done, Anders! 
Thanks! Now I better check my food for hemlock :-)


Anders Sandberg, Future of Humanity Institute Philosophy Faculty of Oxford University
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