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What We Owe The Future: Difference between revisions
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But ultimately it is the sub-Sagan, sub-Harari style | But ultimately it is the sub-Sagan, sub-Harari style | ||
of wiser-than-thou top-down moral counselling that really grates: | of wiser-than-thou top-down moral counselling that really grates: humanity needs to solve the problems of the future centrally and this requires brainy people in the academy, like me, to do it. And the answer might be at the great expense of all you stupid nose-breathing oxygen wasters out there. | ||
We should sacrifice you lot — birds in the hand — for your far-distant descendants — birds in a bush that may or may not be there in 500m years. | We should sacrifice you lot — birds in the hand — for your far-distant descendants — birds in a bush that may or may not be there in 500m years. | ||
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If homo sapiens really is as hopeless a case as MacAskill thinks, who is to say it can redeem itself millennia into the future? What makes Macaskill think future us deserves that chance that present us is blowing so badly? Perhaps it would be better off for everyone else said saintly beasts, fish fowls, bushes and trees) if we just winked out now. | If homo sapiens really is as hopeless a case as MacAskill thinks, who is to say it can redeem itself millennia into the future? What makes Macaskill think future us deserves that chance that present us is blowing so badly? Perhaps it would be better off for everyone else said saintly beasts, fish fowls, bushes and trees) if we just winked out now. | ||
MacAskill’s loopy Futurism appeals to the silicon valley demi-god types who | MacAskill’s loopy Futurism appeals to the silicon valley demi-god types who have a weakness for Wagnerian psychodrama and glib [[a priori]] [[simulation hypothesis|sci fi futurism]]. To MacAskill’s chagrin, deluded fantasist [[Sam Bankman Fried]] is a fan, supporter, and seems to have “altruistically” given away a large portion of his investors’ money to the cause. I wonder what the expected value of ''that'' outcome was. You perhaps shouldn’t judge a book by the company it keeps on bookshelves, but still. | ||
If you want sensible and thoughtful writing about the planet and its long term future, try Stewart Brand and Brian Eno and the good folk of the Long Now Foundation. Give this hokum the swerve. | If you want sensible and thoughtful writing about the planet and its long term future, try Stewart Brand and Brian Eno and the good folk of the Long Now Foundation. Give this hokum the swerve. | ||