Tom, not sure how to help this along, I tried to agree with and build
on some of your points earlier.
Clearly if we are talking about a better or worse path to "wisdom",
better or worse is full of moral (values / religious / philosophical)
questions as well as scientifically factual issues. And yeah, mixing
those things up in some kind of post-modern pseudo-science can get us
into a "new-agey" mess. But I think we can do better than throw our
hands up in horror at the mess. Take these (hopefully rhetorical)
questions of yours ...
>
> We know a lot about children from conception to maturity and back to the
> child (a la 2001). Can I elicit the same behaviour of that child from a dog?
> Would I trust that child with the choice of which button to push giving me
> life or death.
>
Child development from conception to maturity ?
Yes, we can know a lot about that scientifically, but our views of the
"quality" of that development - its wisdom - doesn't seem to be
entirely scientific / hence this forum - what's wrong with science,
etc.
And back to the child (a la 2001) ?
Now we are talking science-fiction allegory, not science. BUT we have
this recurring (allegorical / metaphorical) theme that perhaps wisdom
has some "child-like" qualities ? No one is saying that a new born
child is the epitome of wisdom. Some of us are saying that some
directions of development away from this child state are worse.
Clearly not all, or we would have no debate about what was a wise
direction.
Can I elicit the same behaviour of that child from a dog?
No. Some of the same / similar behaviours no doubt, but in general, in
total, No.
Would I trust that child with the choice of which button to push
giving me life or death ?
No. Not unless you considered yourself less wise than that child.
But you wouldn't trust a dog, or just any-old robot, or even just any
other human either.
I doubt anyone here is remotely suggesting otherwise.
You would need to have formed some view that they knew what they were
doing, their motives and understandings of consequences of their
actions, the value of (your) life, etc. Trust actually is a very good
word for this debate, very interesting and fundamental, as you put it.
How would you recognize someone as wise enough to be trusted ?
And that is NOT a rhetorical question.
Regards
Ian
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