Warning Label: Before reading this post YOU MUST READ ATHOS POST AND LINK
It might also help to read President Opposite by The Anchoress. She reveals the "art" and "beauty" of doublespeak.
Now my post:
Where does God fit into the Singularity?
Although the different religious traditions have somewhat different conceptions of God, the common thread is that God represents unlimited—infinite—levels of intelligence, knowledge, creativity, beauty, and love. As systems evolve—through biology and technology—we find that they become more complex, more intelligent and more knowledgeable. They become more intricate and more beautiful, more capable of higher emotions such as love. So they grow exponentially in intelligence, knowledge, creativity, beauty, and love, all of the qualities people ascribe to God without limit. Although evolution does not reach a literally infinite level of these attributes, it does accelerate towards ever greater levels, so we can view evolution as a spiritual process, moving ever closer to this ideal. The Singularity will represent an explosion of these higher values of complexity.
So are you trying to play God?
Actually, I’m trying to play a human. I’m trying to do what humans do well, which is solve problems.
But will we still be human after all these changes?
That depends on how you define human. Some observers define human based on our limitations. I prefer to define us as the species that seeks—and succeeds—in going beyond our limitations.
Although the different religious traditions have somewhat different conceptions of God, the common thread is that God represents unlimited—infinite—levels of intelligence, knowledge, creativity, beauty, and love. As systems evolve—through biology and technology—we find that they become more complex, more intelligent and more knowledgeable. They become more intricate and more beautiful, more capable of higher emotions such as love. So they grow exponentially in intelligence, knowledge, creativity, beauty, and love, all of the qualities people ascribe to God without limit. Although evolution does not reach a literally infinite level of these attributes, it does accelerate towards ever greater levels, so we can view evolution as a spiritual process, moving ever closer to this ideal. The Singularity will represent an explosion of these higher values of complexity.
So are you trying to play God?
Actually, I’m trying to play a human. I’m trying to do what humans do well, which is solve problems.
But will we still be human after all these changes?
That depends on how you define human. Some observers define human based on our limitations. I prefer to define us as the species that seeks—and succeeds—in going beyond our limitations.
Many observers point out how science has thrown us off our pedestal, showing us that we’re not as central as we thought, that the stars don’t circle around the Earth, that we’re not descended from the Gods but rather from monkeys, and before that earthworms.
All of that is true, but it turns out that we are central after all. Our ability to create models—virtual realities—in our brains, combined with our modest-looking thumbs, are enabling us to expand our horizons without limit.
Is it science fiction or reality? A lot of folks are on-board and they are already re-making truth, goodness and beauty in their image.
Read more on The Singularity is Near - the A-Line Story here
Read more on The Singularity is Near - the B-Line Story here
3 comments:
Kurzweil's God represents unlimited—infinite—levels of intelligence, knowledge, creativity, beauty, and love. As systems evolve—through biology and technology—we find that they become more complex, more intelligent and more knowledgeable ... is SO Belbury.
For the unaware, lay aside time to read, or reread, C. S. Lewis's That Hideous Strength. In one volume, Lewis nails the primitive sacred and the inevitable end point of such scientism nonsense as Kurzweil's Gnostic hokum.
I wouldn't be so quick to just totally dismiss this, Ath. Some mighty powerful movers & shakers are on board and I have a feeling that I Wun is going to do what he can to tie his/our wagon to all this (Singularity) as our "salvation," and a fix if you will, for the economic well being. We are hitting the bottom pretty hard and short of declaring an all out war (on ourselves) the vision of Singularity can provide the map into the future – a map that many people are already on board with. Get the 'people' a little more dazed and confused and they may buy into almost anything... I think it is scarier then you seem to dismiss.
My previous comment here ties into the issue of the decline of Christianity in the West and like your post hints at, many are only doing 'Christianity' lite and will be easily swayed to the prophecy of Singularity. In fact Christianity lite may actually be the spring board for Singularity.
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