[extropy-chat] The Proactionary Principle: comments encouraged on almost-final version

[Chris Hibbert]

> Freedom to innovate technologically is highly valuable, even
> critical, to humanity. This implies a range of responsibilities for
> those considering whether and how to develop, deploy, or restrict new
> technologies. Assess risks and opportunities using an objective,
> open, and comprehensive, yet simple decision process based on science
> rather than collective emotional reactions. Account for the costs of
> restrictions and lost opportunities as fully as direct effects. Favor
> measures that are proportionate to the probability and magnitude of
> impacts, and that have the highest payoff relative to their costs.
> Give a high priority to people's freedom to learn, innovate, and
> advance.

Your opening paragraph starts out in a descriptive style, but 
unexpectedly switches to imperative with the third sentence.  I think 
the descriptive form was better suited as an introduction to the 
numbered list that follows.  Let me try a rewrite to show you what I mean:

   Freedom to innovate technologically is highly valuable, even
   critical, to humanity. This implies a range of responsibilities for
   those considering whether and how to develop, deploy, or restrict
   new technologies.  In order to ensure that we don't react
   precipitously to emotional prompts, we should assess risks and
   opportunities using an open comprehensive decision process based on
   science, the most objective evaluation tool humanity has developed.
   All major innovations have both direct and indirect consequences,
   though the indirect effects can be hard to predict.  In order to
   choose the most beneficial course, decision makers should account
   for the costs of restrictions and lost opportunities as fully as
   direct effects.  Since indirect consequences are hard to predict
   reliably, we owe it to ourselves to favor measures that are
   proportionate to the probability and magnitude of impacts, and that
   have the highest payoff relative to their costs.  In order to
   provide the best opportunity to learn and improve from both our
   successes and failures priority should be given to people's freedom
   to learn, innovate, and advance.

Chris
-- 
It is easy to turn an aquarium into fish soup, but not so
easy to turn fish soup back into an aquarium.
-- Lech Walesa on reverting to a market economy.

Chris Hibbert
hibbert at mydruthers.com
Blog:   http://pancrit.org