What's that mean again?

Nov 17, 2010 14:23

Apparently anosognosia is suffering from a dictionary disorder, as he seems to have forgotten what 'luddite' means. Especially odd is how disconnected his 'definition' is from the actual origin of the word.

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vaelynphi November 17 2010, 20:13:09 UTC
Yeah I'm not fond of the transhumanist thing myself, but the fact that it brings up strong AI wankery is the part that bothers me.

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cyranothe2nd November 17 2010, 19:57:54 UTC
Whaaaa? Isn't a Luddite someone who dislikes technology? How'd he get from that to his definition? Must be using the AFail Dicktionary....

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vonheston November 17 2010, 21:03:48 UTC
No, I think he is using these definitions: http://www.longevitymeme.org/articles/viewarticle.cfm?article_id=20&page=1

...and being sarcastic. I think he is saying that transhumanism implies anyone who disagrees is some kind of neo-luddite, and people who disagree with transhumanism are defined as such, ergo that is how transhumanism as a philosophy views proper science. Reductio ad absurdum, but beginning with the absurd logical conclusion instead of ending with it.

You should ask him what he means though, maybe I have misunderstood as well...

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vaelynphi November 17 2010, 21:07:59 UTC
Well, anyone who disagrees with transhumanism (this, incidentally, includes me) *is* a luddite, at least in a narrow sense.

But if Anos is being sarcastic, it's hard to tell most of the time.

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vonheston November 17 2010, 21:15:55 UTC
I disagree - I think transhumanism is wacky, and i'm not condemning technological or scientific progress by saying so. It's not a scientific position or whatever, it's a religious belief. I'm cool with other people having it but it's not what I believe personally.

Aww, I like his style of writing. He is actually a pretty cool guy if you don't take it personally when he disagrees with you. ;p

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vaelynphi November 17 2010, 22:46:22 UTC
I don't take it personally when it he disagrees with me; I take it personally when he mocks me for not agreeing with his half-demented method of proposing his ideas, or calls me a troll for saying that his display was insufficient to convince a rational person.

I can only conclude that you're altogether too tolerant of him.

As for transhumanism, it is belief predicated on extreme technological advancement. I'm sure it's religious for some people, but the basic idea (technology advances to the point where human biology is replaced with technology) is hardly wacky. Transhumanists, however, may be very wacky.

What makes transhumanism wacky to you? I personally don't believe that a change of context will really change the human condition; if anything, it seems to make it worse.

Or, to put it in a more familiar context, are you saying you wouldn't rather be a Cylon?

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easwaran November 17 2010, 21:13:19 UTC
That is a really weird redefinition of the word "Luddite". I don't think I've ever heard anyone try to claim the term as a positive label, as that person appears to be doing. Although, the rest of the claims anosognosia is making are incomprehensible enough that I might have misunderstood which position was supposed to be positive and which negative.

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vaelynphi November 17 2010, 22:48:10 UTC
To be fair, it's been put forward that he's being facetious. I think he's being douchey.

Though, on the other hand, if you believe that technology can move too fast, and that this effect could bring about apocalypse, that's pretty much anti-transhumanist, in a sense, isn't it?

On that view, being a luddite wouldn't be so bad.

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archmage_brian November 18 2010, 01:09:48 UTC
To be fair, it's been put forward that he's being facetious. I think he's being douchey.

Isn't that pretty much his default MO?

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vaelynphi November 18 2010, 13:12:01 UTC
Well, I think so, but I try and entertain at least six impossible things before breakfast, and Anos happens to be quite impossible most of the time.

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lefinq November 18 2010, 02:12:35 UTC
The most succinct philosophy I've ever come across about the role of technology in society came from, of all places, a video game. Metroid Prime 3, to be exact. The statement: "The old and the new must be in harmony." I'm sure someone else of greater stature than the good folks at Nintendo said it first, but I always thought it was a good course of action. I liken it to a hologram Buddha.

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samus_aran November 18 2010, 12:19:50 UTC
:)

Where in the game did they say that? I don't remember it.

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lefinq November 18 2010, 12:57:36 UTC
On Bryyo, in one of the historical modules. Those lizard people, so eloquent...

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samus_aran November 18 2010, 13:02:34 UTC
LoL.

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