From: Samantha Atkins (sjatkins@gmail.com)
Date: Sun Aug 15 2004 - 17:50:16 MDT
> My sympathies are with you, but I don't think you can make a logical
> connection between Transhumanism and Libertarianism.
>
> Transhumanism is a view of a future with lots of technologically derived
> changes in it, up to and including fundamental changes in humans. It is
> rooted in reasonable extrapolations of technical progress. I was at least
> an observer as the aspects of the transhumanism view of our future developed.
>
> Libertarianism is a political philosophy about proper/ideal relation of
> humans to each other. Heinlein was the biggest political/philosophical
> influence in my formative years so you have to rate me as at least as a
> lower case libertarian.
>
As you know, the central tenet of libertarianism is the non-initiation
of force as a succinct guide to proper human relationships. While I
admit it is free-floating it has much to recommend it.
> Unfortunately, libertarianism, especially "Libertarianism" is rooted in
> air--as are all political philosophies. Infection with the Libertarianism
> meme set too often results in uncompromising people with very poor
> political skills. The only people worse off are the
> Objectivists/Randroids. I think I know why if you are interested.
>
It is not part of rational discourse or even very civilized imho to
indulge in such verbal putdowns as "randroids". While I find many
utter fools participating in objectivists circles including some
highly placed ones, use of this term tend to deny importance to the
entire idea space. That is a mistake and an injustice.
> I remember years and years ago hearing an Objectivist rant that if offered
> such a choice, a person should choose to save their life over that of the
> rest of humanity. It felt really wrong but it was a number of years before
> I understood Hamilton's inclusive fitness and was able to say *why* it felt
> wrong.
>
It is certainly not a logical argument based on objectivist ideas per
se. Claiming such a universal should is itself not terribly logical.
But it depends on the context. The proper answer to an assumption of
would be enslavers that one's life belongs to humanity (whatever that
comes out to be in practice) is to hold one's life more valuable than
such a collective parasitic view of humanity.
> The most accepted transhumanist meme set includes evolutionary
> psychology. If someone wants a political philosophy to go along with
> transhumanism, they really should think about basing it on EP at least up
> to the point we abandon human mental configuration.
>
I would be very interested in a sketch of what you (or others) believe
this would look like.
> Memetics is really rooted in EP and transhumans tend to be up on memetics
> as well. You might be amused that the "meme about memes" set off a major
> allergic reaction among Libertarians back in the 80s.
>
I don't really see why it should or how these are connected or why
this is amusing or what your purpose is in relating it in this
context.
-s
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