<html>
<body>
Dirk,<br><br>
I think it would be best if you respected the communications already sent
to this list and published elsewhere regarding Extropy
Institute.<br><br>
Thank you.<br><br>
Natasha Vita-More<br><br>
<br>
At 06:53 AM 9/10/2005, you wrote:<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">On 9/8/05, <b>Max More</b>
<<a href="mailto:max@maxmore.com">max@maxmore.com</a>> wrote: <br>
<dl>
<dd> Clearly<br>
<dd>the Principles of Extropy are highly *compatible* with a
libertarian<br>
<dd>view of politics -- more so than with any other identifiable <br>
<dd>viewpoint that I know of. It doesn't follow that they are<br>
<dd>*restricted* to only that one, exact political philosophy. A
dogmatic<br>
<dd>view of political and economic systems would be incompatible with
the<br>
<dd>principles of rational thinking and perpetual progress. <br><br>
<dd>As I've said many times, the Principles are *not* compatible
with<br>
<dd>socialism, but do not rule out *possible* exceptions to strict<br>
<dd>libertarian answers. The ultimate goal is not adherence to<br>
<dd>libertarian doctrine, but to advancing our lives in *all* the ways
<br>
<dd>described in the Principles. As far as I'm concerned, that
*might*<br>
<dd>mean, for example, some government funding of basic research. And
it<br>
<dd>might not -- I'm not at all sure on this issue at the moment. It<br>
<dd>*might* mean some laws limiting private property rights -- such as
<br>
<dd>might be needed to conduct inspections of research labs working
with<br>
<dd>extremely dangerous materials (nanostuff, AI, whatever).<br><br>
</dl> <br>
IMO ExI Principles are a matter of *interpretation*, only one such being
Uber Libertarianism.<br>
If this is not so then you can kiss much future membership goodbye.<br>
<br>
As Transhumanism moves from the perceived lunatic fringe populated by
fanatical True Believers into the cultural mainstream populated by people
a lot less committed to any single political POV this is going to be even
more apparent. Trying to maintain ideological purity is a recipe for
internicene squabbling, witch hunts and heretic bashing reminiescent of
the history of 'pure' Socialism with its petty factions and interminable
cry of 'splitter!'. <br>
<br>
ExI, and its membership, must decide soon if it is going to be a bastion
of purity or whether it is going to set itself up to attract mainstream
support. We certainly know what the WTA has decided.<br>
<br>
Dirk<br><br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
extropy-chat mailing list<br>
extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org<br>
<a href="http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo/extropy-chat" eudora="autourl">
http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo/extropy-chat</a></blockquote>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<dl>
<dd><font size=2><a href="http://www.natasha.cc/">Natasha
</a><a href="http://www.natasha.cc/">Vita-More</a>
<dd>Cultural Strategist, Designer
<dd>Studies of the Future, University of Houston
<dd>President, <a href="http://www.extropy.org/">Extropy Institute</a>
<dd>Founder, <a href="http://www.transhumanist.biz/">Transhumanist Arts
& Culture</a> <br><br>
</font>
<dd><font face="Times New Roman, Times"><i>Knowledge is the most
democratic source of power.</i> Alvin Toffler
<dd><i>Random acts of kindness... </i>Anne Herbet<br><br></font>
</dl></body>
</html>