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Article 5541 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: petersow@saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com (Wayne Peterson)
Subject: Re: AI failures
Message-ID: <1992May10.202730.9904@saifr00.cfsat.honeywell.com>
Organization: Honeywell Air Transport Systems Division
References: <zlsiida.91@fs1.mcc.ac.uk> <1992Apr30.172550.7748@waikato.ac.nz> <TODD.92May10140613@ai09.elcom.nitech.ac.jp>
Date: Sun, 10 May 92 20:27:30 GMT
Lines: 38

Mr. Law states:
>Murder.
>Meat eating.
>Even human eating.

>The notion of right or wrong is purely imposed on us
>at a societal level.  In different places, at different
>times in history, all of the above have been designated
>as permissible behaviour.

I think a moral human being must transend societal norms.  This
is part of the principle of passive resistance of Ghandi or
King.  Otherwise morallity degenerates into might makes right.
Since society (or government) has the might, then it is right.

>Right or wrong for killing a program with the intelligence
>of a 3 year old can also be determined at a societal level,
>disconnected from philosophy or science.  The determination
>is completely irrespective of facts or logic (this is how
>people come to be pro-abortion vegetarians...)

I think of Emerson's warning against a foolish consistency.
I know vegitarians against abortion, for capital punishment
and vegitarians for abortion and against capital punishment.
and seemingly kind, compassionate human beings who eat meat.

I dont think the choice is up to society, but to each one
of us.  In the end we are responsible for our own
behavior.  To follow society is to be a sheep, easily
manipulated by those that think that they run the world.

Who hasnt, at some point come to the conslusion that
sometimes society is just plain wrong.

Sincerely,
Wayne Peterson




