Re: Fwd: why is death painful? - Validity and Morality of QS

From: Gilles HENRI <Gilles.Henri.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Wed, 9 Jun 1999 09:42:06 +0200

>>
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>> In a message dated 99-06-08 02:04:53 EDT, GSLevy.domain.name.hidden writes:
>>
>> <<
>> I think we are touching on the BIG PROBLEM that will concern the
>>ethicisists
>> of the 21th century and beyond. How to give meaning to physical life and
>> counter QS in view of the MWI. For if we do not find a reason to
>>counter QS
>> the future of the human race is doomed (in most worlds) if the concept of
>> measure can be quantified in any ways. >>
>>
>> The problem of QS and Quantum Immortality is major and, as the reality of
>> Quantum theory trickles down into the general public and becomes
>>"familiar,"
>> these issues will probably become the most important moral dilemma of the
>> future. Most recent posts have only been preaching to the choir and I am
>>one
>> of them. We need all the devil's advocates we can find. Are we or are we
>>not
>> immortal? Is QS "Good" or "Evil?" Do we want to become big fish in a small
>> pond or small fish in a big pond? (I.e., restrict the measure of the
>>world we
>> perceive for our own benefit, OR allow ourselves to propagate as much as
>> possible through the MW and suffer the strings of outrageous fortune. Let's
>> hear some strong clear and convincing arguments opposing QS. Jacques Mallah
>> were are you?
>
>
>
>Why is this important? It is clear that QS as a meme has low survival
>value, and so would not propagate through the whole human
>population. Most of the humans that share our own here and now will
>believe that suicide is not worth it (for whatever reason). Those that
>do will die in our universe and therefore be irrelevant to it, and
>have little influence over what the bulk of the population believes.

Generally speaking, I find it a curious idea to base any ethical
consideration upon scientific theories. Science's goal is not to tell what
is good or not. It just deals with objective facts and tries to find
relationships between them. It could be a scientific question (although not
often asked) to ask why and how we define our categories of good and evil.
It is not a scientific one to ask if they are justified. BTW I didn't hear
of any case of suicide caused by the belief in MWI...

Gilles

******************
Gilles HENRI

Laboratoire d'Astrophysique
Observatoire de Grenoble
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FRANCE
Maître de Conférences à l'Université Grenoble I (Joseph Fourier)
Membre junior de l'Institut Universitaire de France

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******************
Received on Wed Jun 09 1999 - 00:48:23 PDT