---Bryan Hyden <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> well, as i've stated before steven, if i were to die tommorro, i am
still
> concerned for the welfare of the earth.... i would recieve no benefit
> whatsoever.... for example, if i was (say) as rich as bill gates
and knew
> that i was going to die tommorro (for whatever reason), then perhaps
i would
> donate all of my money to some environmental charity (and let's say
that i
> would do it annonymously for the sake of the altruism argument)....
would
> that not *possibly* be considered to be altruism towards the earth?
Well assuming you had that much money I doubt you could do it
anonymously. After all there aren't that many who have that kinda
spare change laying around and a quick head count would reveal the
donor.
As for it being altruistic? I don't think so. After all your dead so
there is no benefit or harm or anything else with regards to what you
might get out of it. Lets think of it in these terms, Bryan do care
about the planet 10,000 years from now?
> If we assume that self awareness can be extended to
> >homeostatic systems, then we can fairly say Earth is sentient. But,
I don't
> >think we can. I've never had a lot of faith in arguements which
depend on
> >changing the definition of words.
>
> *i* don't have to change the definition of the word one iota to say
that i
> believe the earth is sentient...
To be fair to Bryan here he is right, he has stated clearly now in his
last several posts that for him the Earth being sentient is dogma not
a hypothesis to be tested or even refuted.
Steve
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