Jeff, it's not just you.<br><br>The "moral obligation" view seems to spring from transhumanists who hold a utilitarian or deontological moral view. It doesn't make sense from a virtue ethics perspective, which is what I've long favored and which is reflected in the extropian approach to transhumanism.<br>
<br>I'm all for helping other people to be healthy and overcome their biological limits, but it's something I choose to do (and to different degrees depending on what it is), not because it's a moral obligation. What is the source of such an obligation? No such source exists, in my view.<br>
<br>--Max<br><br>P.S. I haven't been receiving any messages from list list in quite a few days, but they seem to be coming in now.<br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Mar 18, 2012 at 4:42 PM, Natasha Vita-More <span dir="ltr"><natasha@natasha.cc></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">I think she must have gotten this from some person she interviewed and<br>
paraphrased it without quoting who said it.<br>
<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: <a href="mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org">extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org</a><br>
[mailto:<a href="mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org">extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org</a>] On Behalf Of Jeff Davis<br>
Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2012 6:10 PM<br>
To: ExI chat list<br>
Subject: Re: [ExI] h+ in smithsonian<br>
<br>
2012/3/18 spike <<a href="mailto:spike66@att.net">spike66@att.net</a>>:<br>
<br>
> <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-to-Become-the-Enginee" target="_blank">http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-to-Become-the-Enginee</a><br>
> rs-of-Our-Own-Evolution.html?utm_source=smithsonianfuturism&utm_medium<br>
> =email&utm_campaign=201203-futurism<br>
<br>
>From the article:<br>
<br>
"...Transhumanists say we are morally obligated to help the human race<br>
transcend its biological limits..."<br>
<br>
How many agree with this? The moral obligation part. Feels a bit<br>
evangelical to me, a bit pushy, a bit intrusive, but that's just me.<br>
No doubt there's a range of views re the obligatory nature of helping others<br>
or ***ALL*** humanity to transcend.<br>
<br>
I'm perfectly happy to let the rest of humanity choose for themselves<br>
whether to enhance or not. Actually, as a personal freedom issue, I support<br>
those who choose to live "natural", age naturally, and die naturally, to do<br>
so. Call me selfish, but I'd prefer that these traditionalists age<br>
gracefully and die peacefully, and in doing so, lighten the Luddite load.<br>
<br>
Other opinions?<br>
<br>
Best Jeff Davis<br>
<br>
"Everything's hard till you know how to do it."<br>
Ray Charles<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
extropy-chat mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org">extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat" target="_blank">http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat</a><br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
extropy-chat mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org">extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat" target="_blank">http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat</a><br>
</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div>Max More, PhD</div><div>Strategic Philosopher</div><div>Co-editor, <i>The Transhumanist Reader</i></div><div>CEO, Alcor Life Extension Foundation</div><div>7895 E. Acoma Dr # 110</div>
<div>Scottsdale, AZ 85260</div><div>480/905-1906 ext 113</div><br>