AW: [aiethics] What are humans made of?

[Christian DroЯmann]

Alicebot AI Ethics Committee - http://www.alicebot.org



Chris wrote:

> I am an atheist, and although I fundamentally question the
> societal benefit
> of most religious practices world I think that this comment is a
> little over
> the line. There are many people who faithfully practice religion and =
also

yes, on second thought I think so as well...

> admit that certain things are unexplainable by science. Religion is =
many
> things besides simply a way of explaining the laws of nature: Religion =
can
> be a philosophy of life, a cultural bond, a tool of self
> discipline, a legal
> system, a history, etc.

I agree with that...I just think that there are better (and much more =
real)
things to hold on to than a religion...
Be it one's friends or one's partner or one's children or simply trying =
to
make a better world for all of us...
IMHO at the current state of knowledge our modern society is, religions =
have
become obsolete...

> My belief that murder is wrong is as logically arbitrary as someone =
else's
> belief that unrepentant sinners will spend an eternity in hell.
> But it is a
> belief that forms part of the very foundation of how I view the world. =
It
> enables me to think about more practical and interesting things
> like setting
> up my bot or making my girlfriend laugh. I have lots of other =
unprovable
> beliefs, like the belief that racism/sexism/homophobia are damn
> wrong, that
> cats are smarter than squirrels, that the ultrarich are all assholes, =
that
> it's okay to lie occasionally, etc, etc.

I would never try to talk someone into giving up his beliefs...It's
everone's freedom to believe whatever they want to believe...
I'm convinced that beliefs, even if they are of a religious kind, are =
good,
but turn into something bad once they are put together in some kind of
religion...


> Pedro is right to point out that without the shorthand tools of =
religion,
> ethics, morality, etc, we'd all be caught in an infinite loop of
> existential
> crisis. Like friend Jared.

I'm not sure about that...for example I cannot say where I will go when =
I'm
dead, but that does not bother me because I'll find out soon enough...
I think the biggest problem with human minds is that everything must =
have a
reason...that leads to people being worried about the reason and meaning =
of
life...
I don't believe life has a meaning or a reason... there is just a =
certain
constellation of atoms that has developed over time resulting in an =
effect
that we now call "life"... "reason" or "meaning" IMHO implies planning
something, but life has not been planned by anyone or anything...it just
happened because all the required conditions are met on this
planet...therefore life does not have a reason or meaning in a technical
sense...
This is my personal way of avoiding such an infinite loop of existential
crisis...

Christian