Mondolithic Studios has featured some superb posts lately, but what really caught my eye was this breakdown of the transhumanist rallying cry for "species uplift":
I Could Have Told You That
Which brings me to one of the creepiest and most truly disturbing concepts floating around the most distant outer fringes of techno-totalist circles: the idea of "species uplift". That's the idea that we have a moral imperative to use advanced technology to artificially elevate the intelligence of animal species to at least human level, for their own good. It's not even a new idea (Planet of the Apes). But like so many tropes that have been circulating around in science fiction for the last 70 years, it's been rebranded to sound daring and novel and given a bit of post-Drexlerian spitshine for the GenY demographic.
4 comments:
How David Brin of them.
I wonder if he could sue for a massive amount?
I like my dog just the way she is, thank you very much.
Michael
Transhumanists actually define "species uplift" as "a moral imperative to use advanced technology to artificially elevate the intelligence of animal species to at least human level, for their own good"? That can't be right.
I can hardly believe that is true--the idea is ridiculous on it's face. For their "own good"? Yeah, right.
I'm really hankering to have a good intellectual discussion about Goethe and Neitzche with my cat. If she starts to "win" the debate, I'll just toss her a catnip mouse--that would change the psychodynamics! 8^}
Human knowledge and elevated awareness are a double edged sword. I honestly don't think I would want to force either on a blissfully ignorant animal. A simple life has its advantages.
It's a bit like wanting to talk a Christian out of that fuzzy, fairy land of "belief". Kinda breaks your heart to pull out the rug from under them. It's doubly bitter sweet knowing that with your scope of knowledge that there is no way you can lose yourself in that dogma. For you, as an enlightened transhumanist, there is no going back to ignorance, blissful or otherwise.
Denny
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