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Humanity currently is like a young child. We throw temper tantrums, make big messes and refuse to clean them up. We're terrible stewards of the earth and we ser
by Joeri 9y ago
Humanity currently is like a young child. We throw temper tantrums, make big messes and refuse to clean them up. We're terrible stewards of the earth and we serve no purpose as a species higher than existing and reproducing. We must grow up. But the fact that we're talking animals driven by primal urges makes this impossible through nurture alone. Either we change ourselves to the point of being a different species, or we build the better people we should have been and go quietly into the night. Either way, humanity as it exists today can't be the template for the future. Whatever comes next may call itself human, but it won't be homo sapiens.
- scribu 9y ago> we serve no purpose as a species higher than existing and reproducing You say that as if there are (or can ever be) species which do have a higher purpose.
- Joeri 9y agoBasically any common purpose at all would suffice, like protecting life against harm. Fundamentally, we haven't agreed on the basic question: why are we here? Not 'why' as in how did we come to be, but why as in what do we want to achieve.
- lttlrck 9y agoYet despite recognizing all these shortcomings we still have the arrogance to think we can create a better ‘human’? That would be a better steward without primal urges? That’s distinctly human egotism. I feel we would already have to change ourselves to the point of becoming a different species before we were even capable of successfully building such a being. At which point it would be moot.
- AndrewKemendo 9y agoI'd be curious how you define "better" I feel we would already have to change ourselves to the point of becoming a different species before we were even capable of successfully building such a being Well that's what the whole transhumanist movement is about - however it goes hand in hand with AGI. You can get there together in theory.