<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">-- resent from bounces yesterday ---<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"><DIV>I wouldn't call this an "hypothesis" really as it is a set of questions. The are pretty good questions particularly given some recent discussions here. We have had discussion as to the relative value and even "kinds" of rationality (versus logic of our genes), whether it can be taught or not, to what extent our genes cause us to be not that purely interested in truth or reason, how they cause us certain grief when our favorite ox is gored and so on. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>So it is a very pertinent question if our genes contain (or perhaps better, cause) ignorance then wouldn't ignorance be OK if our rationality is not actually privileged over the "reason" of our genes or genetic programming? This question has surfaced a few times recently. Thanks for bringing it out, Anna.<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>In Lee's discussion about the teachability of rationality, he posited that critical thinking is more or less genetically determined. Hence the second question. Is being knowledgeable (or rational) a good in itself or only to certain people of distinct genetic makeup. This is a fair question.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>- samantha</DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On Mar 21, 2006, at 5:41 PM, Anne-Marie Taylor wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV>>Hypothesis:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class="replbq" style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"> <DIV>>I keep asking myself if it's better to be ignorant:) </DIV> <DIV>>If genes contain certain characteristics of ignorance, wouldn't it be OK.</DIV> <DIV>>To ask that if genes really do contain ignorance, then it would perhaps >be a needed to a distinct gene for a certain type of people?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>>Hypothesis:</DIV> <DIV>>I keep asking myself if it's better to be knowledgeable:)</DIV> <DIV>>If genes contain certain characteristics of knowledge, wouldn't it be OK</DIV> <DIV>>To ask that if genes really do contain knowledge, then it would be perhaps >be a needed to a distinct gene for a certain type of people?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Is it better to be ignorant or knowledgeable?</DIV> <DIV>Just curious </DIV> <DIV>Anna:)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <HR size="1"> Enrich your life at <A href="http://finance.yahoo.ca/"><B>Yahoo! Canada Finance</B></A></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><DIV> <BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><HR size="1">Make free worldwide PC-to-PC calls. Try the new <A href="http://ca.messenger.yahoo.com/"><B>Yahoo! Canada Messenger with Voice</B></A><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">_______________________________________________</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">extropy-chat mailing list</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="mailto:extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org">extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat">http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat</A></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>