From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.ecf!utgpu!csd.unb.ca!morgan.ucs.mun.ca!nstn.ns.ca!news.cs.indiana.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!src.honeywell.com!saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com!petersow Tue May 12 15:49:15 EDT 1992
Article 5435 of comp.ai.philosophy:
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
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>From: petersow@saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com (Wayne Peterson)
Subject: Re: re re ai failures
Message-ID: <1992May6.163335.8117@saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com>
Organization: Honeywell Air Transport Systems Division
References: <zlsiida.112@fs1.mcc.ac.uk> <1992May1.193141.24350@psych.toronto.edu> <zlsiida.144@fs1.mcc.ac.uk>
Date: Wed, 6 May 92 16:33:35 GMT


Mr. Collins writes:
>        Regardless of moral or ethical codes or laws I think
>you'll find history shows that killing happens whenever it's expedient.
>The only reason we have a problem with the 3year old is that it's the same
>species as us, and there are very sensible reasons why we don't usually kill
>our own species (the selfish gene et al.).  The AI failure isn't the same
>species as us, which is enough to ease most people's conscience.  But there
>have been many times in history when people had very little trouble with
>their consciences while they murdered 3 year olds - Vietnam, Kuwait, etc.
>Killing is only a problem as long as we all agree that it is.
 

Wow, what a statement, remind me to stay away from you. I guess though
you must be prone to inaction while waiting for everyone to agree.  Of
course 12 people agreed that it was alright for police to beat
Rodney King, so anything is possible.  I fail to understand YOUR view
on ethics.  Is it exceptable to kill, when, why, who or how?

If we are looking for a system to weigh killing, how about the Hindu 
use of Tattwas; earth, air, fire, water, and ether.  The more tattwas a
creature has the more karma incurred for killing it.  Vegitables have
one tattwa, water, therefore very little karma is incurred by killing
vegetables (and plants).  Insects have two tattwa, birds, fish and
lizards have three.  Mammals have four tattwas and therefore killing
mammals produces much karma, hence a vegetatian diet.  Humans have
five tattwas (ether is the stuff of thoughts) and killing a human
creates a very heavy karmic death (meaning being killed in a future
life).  Now if this sounds a little far fetched to you look at our laws.
What would be the penalty for picking your neighbors flower, stomping
on your neighbors tarantula, killing your neighbors dog, killing you
neighbor's three year old daughter.  Now what should be the penalty
for unplugging his computer?




