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Latest post 01-14-2008 12:04 PM by JamesP. 4 replies.
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  • 01-14-2008 11:28 AM

    Is it going to be technology or philosophy?

    I have held the belief, for some time now, that with the continued advancement of technology and science, we'll all be very rich and free eventually. With nanotechnology, biotechnology, efficient and mobile sources of energy, there will be nothing for government to offer to individuals. So, just to give one example, in a 100 years or so, when technology enables people to very easily and quickly move around and build self sustaining communities all over the place, governments will have to keep decentralizing until they lose control completely...

    So, which do you think is gonna save us from government first, philosophy or technology? I personally think it's gonna be technology. Philosophy is important in explaining everything though...That's what I think.



     

  • 01-14-2008 11:47 AM In reply to

    • Charlotte
    • Top 25 Contributor
    • Joined on 10-15-2007
    • Moscow, Russian Federation
    • Posts 1,112
    • Philosopher King

    Re: Is it going to be technology or philosophy?

    MK_Safi:
    With nanotechnology, biotechnology, efficient and mobile sources of energy, there will be nothing for government to offer to individuals.

    Sure there will be. Sanction for committing immoral acts.

    Without philosophy - and without a strong and vigorous philosophical basis - a free society can never take hold. 

    We have reached the open sea, with some charts, and the firmament.

    http://montaignesheiress.wordpress.com/

    Voevoda Bolshoia - my travels in Russia.

    http://www.voevodabolshoia.com/

  • 01-14-2008 11:59 AM In reply to

    Re: Is it going to be technology or philosophy?

    MK_Safi:

    I have held the belief, for some time now, that with the continued advancement of technology and science, we'll all be very rich and free eventually. With nanotechnology, biotechnology, efficient and mobile sources of energy, there will be nothing for government to offer to individuals. So, just to give one example, in a 100 years or so, when technology enables people to very easily and quickly move around and build self sustaining communities all over the place, governments will have to keep decentralizing until they lose control completely...

    So, which do you think is gonna save us from government first, philosophy or technology? I personally think it's gonna be technology. Philosophy is important in explaining everything though...That's what I think.



     

    Wow, how we think alike. I have been pondering this very same question for months. I think philosophy is extremely important for the future and technology is allowing us to distribute it to millions of people. I predict that technology will definitely help speed the process along. I have always wondered "If the services provided by the government could be replaced with technology, would peoples attitude towards the govt change?".

    Solar technology is one technology that I am very interested in because it will threaten the current govt monopoly. Nanotech is already being applied to new solar panels(printable nano solar panels) and the batteries(nanowire lithium ion batteries) that store the energy. I think it will be very interesting to see what happens when the cost to buy solar for your house becomes cheap enough for an average person to afford. The price trends certainly back up that possibility.

    The same could be applied to Security, Agriculture, Transportation, Communication, and many others. Technology gives more power to the individual no matter how you slice it.

    As far as what will save us? I think without philosophy, we will be doomed to repeat what we always have done. It's important to have the ideas of philosophy out there when the choice between govt and no govt looms closer, whether it be because of technology or economic failure.  There are people now who want robotic technology to be used for war. Philosophy will be needed to get less people thinking technology should be used to destroy, the people who think otherwise are obviously in need of psychiatric help. A healthy world starts with healthy people, as it is right now, no technology exists that can heal the wounds of the past, which is essential to freedom.

    Sean S. Software Developer Denver, CO

  • 01-14-2008 11:59 AM In reply to

    Re: Is it going to be technology or philosophy?

    The reason for patriotism isn't the lack of certain technologies.
  • 01-14-2008 12:04 PM In reply to

    • JamesP
    • Top 25 Contributor
    • Joined on 05-28-2007
    • Newmarket, NH
    • Posts 1,600
    • Philosopher King

    Re: Is it going to be technology or philosophy?

    Ray Kurzweil discusses some of this in his book, The Singularity.  It was at some point during 2006, while reading it, that I recognized that the technologies he was describing, if they came to pass, would entirely obviate nearly all of the "arguments from effect" for government.  One of the biggest dangers he foresaw, however, was the potential for the development of "terrorist" nanobots that would essentially "infect" you and could, given the right radio signal, reduce you to a pile of goo.

    Worse, said bots might go entirely out of control.  Kurzweil's answer?  The government will have to become even MORE powerful to defeat this sort of threat.

    At the time, my thoughts were: how can you expect a centralized defense to work against a diffuse attack?

    Now, however, I don't see how any government would be able to defend itself against such nanobots.  It certainly couldn't develop such defenses on its own.  The only thing the government will be able to do is to move in after it's already under production and make use of it.

    The problem of "violence is immoral" is categorically not answered by technology.  If our present society were to obtain such technologies, it's very possible that Kurzweil's worst dreams will come catastrophically true.

    some of my own personal archaeology

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