Re: >H Re: Stasism/Dynamism

[Phil <flick@populus.net>]

Transhuman Mailing List

> Transhuman Mailing List
> 
> "William Kitchen" <bill@iglobal.net> writes:
> 
> > I don't automatically equate "ecological change" with "ecological 
> > destruction". Sure some things are clearly destructive, like 
> > leaky toxic waste sites, but to say that we've destroyed most of 
> > the habitats is absurd. Altered, yes. Destroyed, no.
> 
> Exactly. We are participants in ecology, not some outside force. Of
> course, as Eugene points out we might have mainly produced changes we
> do not currently consider good, but that is something we can
> change. Do we want one kind of ecosystem or another? It is really a
> choice, and it is not obvious that the "original" system (whatever
> that is - ecology changes a lot over time naturally) is the one we
> want.  A transhuman form of environmentalism would acknowledge this.

I am reminded of a nature reserve here in Maryland that was created
to preserve rare species found there.  But the species had actually
adapted to American Indian practices of regular forest-burnings
(to clear brush out), so when the area was made into a nature preserve,
these species started dying out.

But.  A transhuman philosophy, whether on environmentalism, or other
issues, would have to take into account the desires of beings on all
levels of complexity.  An attitude that "we" should decide what ecology
"we" want is a one-species attitude that I think is incompatible with
transhumanism.  (Or, at least, with harmonious transhumanism.)

I have a bias here -- I have a sort of aesthetic philosophy, and
self-organization is a fundamental part of my aesthetics.  So an
ecosystem that self-organizes is more beautiful, and thus more valuable,
than one which is centrally planned.

Phil Goetz
flick@populus.net

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