[ExI] Culture war and universal values in the age of spiritual machines

[BillK]

On Mon, 27 Nov 2023 at 15:26, efc--- via extropy-chat
<extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>
> Interesting. It feels on the one hand, (to me) like truisms, and on the
> other as an impossible ideal. I am reminded of the infighting of the
> effective altruism movement and could easily imagine that something like
> this could be weaponized there.
>
> I could also see this in a daoist perspective, where stones and animals
> already are manifesting the right morality, since they are not rational
> beings in the ways humans are.
>
> So when having such abstract theories, I feel they can be bent and twisted
> to mean any nr of things and they lose a lot of their power.
>
> Another view... moral behaviour is just a side effect of a well developed
> character. Therefore, no moral theory is needed, just a way to develop
> people. Morality will follow.
>
> Best regards, Daniel
>_______________________________________________



Hmmmm.  Checking in the opposite direction, I wondered what the result
would be if I asked an AI -

Make a complete list of all the moral values that major religions disagree on.

The AI complained a bit, but made a fair attempt.  :)

Reply:
While it is difficult to provide an exhaustive list, here is a comprehensive
compilation of moral values on which major religions may disagree:

1. Abortion
2. LGBTQ+ rights and same-sex marriage
3. Euthanasia and assisted suicide
4. Women's rights and gender equality
5. Capital punishment
6. Contraception and family planning
7. Divorce and remarriage
8. Dietary restrictions and food choices
9. Alcohol and substance use
10. Modesty in dress and behavior
11. Animal rights and treatment
12. Environmental ethics and stewardship
13. War and violence
14. Just distribution of wealth and economic justice
15. Interfaith marriage and religious conversion
16. Freedom of expression and blasphemy laws
17. Genetic engineering and cloning
18. Stem cell research
19. End-of-life care and medical treatments
20. Slavery and human trafficking
21. Racial and ethnic equality
22. Caste system and social hierarchy
23. Assisted reproductive technologies
24. Access to healthcare and medical interventions
25. Privacy and surveillance
26. Assisted suicide and euthanasia
27. Organ donation and transplantation
28. Forgiveness and reconciliation
29. Interpreting sacred texts and religious authority
30. Rituals and worship practices
31. Role of women in religious leadership
32. Interfaith dialogue and cooperation
33. Immigration and refugee rights
34. Animal sacrifice and ritual practices
35. Conscientious objection and religious exemptions
36. Education and curriculum content
37. Role of religion in politics and governance
38. Inheritance and property rights
39. Birth control and population control strategies
40. Environmental conservation and sustainability.

It is important to note that this list may not cover every possible
disagreement or variation within major religions. Additionally,
individual believers may have their own interpretations and personal
beliefs that may differ from the official teachings of their
respective religious traditions.
---------------------

This list gives me the impression that religions are willing to agree
on vague nice things, like truth, honesty, compassion, etc.
But when you get down to the nitty-gritty details of how to actually
implement rules in daily life, then that's a completely different ball
game!



BillK