X-Message-Number: 10142
From: 
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 11:28:35 EDT
Subject: what you ought to do

John de Rivaz (#10135) looks at the question of "what one ought to do" (e.g.
whether to try to live longer) from the standpoint of whether someone else
should use coercion or pressure of some kind. This is a separate question from
the one I considered, viz., what the individual "ought" to do from his own
perspective, based on information and reason.

Thomas Donaldson (#1036) said my views were "simplistic." Perhaps one could
get that impression from the snippets on Cryonet. Actually, the topic is
exceedingly complex and subtle--perhaps more so than Thomas realizes. I am
trying to deal with it at book length, and if I can scrape up enough hours
from the bottom of the barrel maybe I can finish it this year or next.

Brook Norton (#10138) has it exactly right (to the extent that a short
statement in this area can be "right"). The only rational approach for anyone
is to try to maximize personal satisfaction over future time, appropriately
weighted. The hedonists, epicureans, and utilitarians all started out pretty
much on track, but were soon widely discredited--simply because they were
unable to follow through or develop their ideas in a practical way or resolve
the apparent inconsistencies. They lacked the technical tools now available
and becoming available.  

We can do better.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org

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