Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[ThomasHobbes]

While technically interesting, since the rabble will believe patently inaccurate and fake material out of hand, I don't see the tech actually having a big impact.

I do not see this fact as particularly applicable to a discussion about computer tech or AI.
The rabble have been falling over themselves to believe in BS since the dawn of time. All human civilisations, and the religions they prop up are based wholly on lies from monarchy to ritual to class structure.
Technology in offering more alternatives could mean being able to choose the more likely course of truth.

[Jan Sand]

Perhaps the most interesting and significant quality about AI is its extension of a progress on the use of tools. For a good deal of the life of the process of distinguishing humanity from other animals is the human creation of tools and their quick proliferation throughout all of human civilization to immensely aid in human domination of the planet, Lately studies have demonstrated that this tool use has been recognized in other living creatures but nowhere has this skill even faintly approached the accomplished humanity's genius in the matter. Nevertheless, this creative magic has , throughout the myths of our histories, always carried a shadow of underlying fears. The Biblical story of Adam and Eve was the story of a creator horrified that His creation could disobey by acquiring equality of understanding and was quickly disciplined by expulsion from Eden. The Greek myth of Prometheus who stole fire from the gods is also along the same line and he was horribly punished. The Golem and Pygmalion and Frankenstein all carry the same warnings and currently the process has been slightly reversed by Dawkins whose warnings of the human creation of a God that is not only all powerful but rather weird in His preferences and strangely and continuously forced into tantrums over human misbehavior which is destructive of human society. Ostensibly these difficult imaginary super beings were created to re-enforce the unquestionable demands of political leaders, but they have managed to create independent hierarchies of their own. Thus, the fear of powerful tools has a long and real history which even includes Aladdin’s lamp. AI fits snugly into this tradition and that the human becomes the tool of his or her tool can be repeated in many variations of self destruction.

[LuckyR]

"The rabble" as you so politely put it, may be fed ******** from all quarters with small effect, but communication between those actually in control are equally subject to manipulation by convincing communications.

In my experience while the powerless and the powerful exist in wildly different spheres of influence, they are not particularly different in intellect, savvy and experience, on average.

[Jan Sand]

Although elements of conformity have always been evident in humanity as within all herd animals the constraints on human society to accept social patterns have become increasingly strong as society has developed so that institutional and professional constraints have, in many ways, over-ridden the basic considerations of a decent society. Religion and rigid societies have usually destroyed the abilities of individuals to display their inherent consideration for each other in order to survive but the current level of invasions of even personal thought processes by dominations of education and propaganda and monstrous destructions of privacy have created what might be called "rabble" out of the individual necessities to survive. The potential intellects of even the most average individual is thus drastically stunted to serve the purposes of the dominating sectors of society. And those in domination also have traditions of domination that numb their intellectual potentials. That's why bright people in the military and business and politics subordinate their abilities to reason to the local social forces of their situation and forcible now are driving humanity and the bulk of living creatures to destructive oblivion. As Hanna Ahrendt clearly indicated, the "evil" which is so despised in general comment is more due to the subservience of a mind to social conformities than what might be considered stupidity

[ThomasHobbes]

Although elements of conformity have always been evident in humanity as within all herd animals the constraints on human society to accept social patterns have become increasingly strong as society has developed so that institutional and professional constraints have, in many ways, over-ridden the basic considerations of a decent society. Religion and rigid societies have usually destroyed the abilities of individuals to display their inherent consideration for each other in order to survive but the current level of invasions of even personal thought processes by dominations of education and propaganda and monstrous destructions of privacy have created what might be called "rabble" out of the individual necessities to survive. The potential intellects of even the most average individual is thus drastically stunted to serve the purposes of the dominating sectors of society. And those in domination also have traditions of domination that numb their intellectual potentials. That's why bright people in the military and business and politics subordinate their abilities to reason to the local social forces of their situation and forcible now are driving humanity and the bulk of living creatures to destructive oblivion. As Hanna Ahrendt clearly indicated, the "evil" which is so despised in general comment is more due to the subservience of a mind to social conformities than what might be considered stupidity

Social psychology is a scientific approach that seeks to understand individual behavior and thought process in social situations and settings. Social conformity is a normative topic in social psychology. Although it is a contemporary topic of research, social conformity has been practiced in societies around the world since ancient times. Many forms of social conformity exist but a correct definition would realise it as a phenomenon that occurs when an individual’s values, beliefs, behaviors, and attitude are influenced by either one person (minority influence), or by a group of people (majority influence) who establish norms. During conformity one changes the way they behave in response to social pressures. We have all encountered social conformity in life, whether it has been consciously or unconsciously, by accepting the dominant culture’s expectation of us. What people say and how they behave are vastly influenced by others.
All all this verbal diaroea is about as off topic as your little outburst.

[Jan Sand]

My comment was about the attitudes towards the development of Ai and as such do reverberate strongly on topic, A generalized dismissal of any viewpoint contrary to what may be specified as as a personal view of relevance is very off topic.

[ThomasHobbes]

A generalized dismissal of any viewpoint contrary to what may be specified as as a personal view of relevance is very off topic.

Simply no.

[Jan Sand]

I appreciate your admission of simple mindedness. Since the topic explicitly indicates this is a discussion of opinion and opinion is never immune to the lessons of historical and current efforts to direct it in social contexts my contribution outlining a few of the strong directives in opinion construction are very much on target. I appreciate thoughtful opposition to my comment but I am still awaiting its presentation.