Moral progress, Moral progress - thoughts ? Options

[Soma]

W. DANIEL HILLIS
Physicist, Computer Scientist; Chairman, Applied Minds, Inc.; Author, The
Pattern on the Stone

I know that it sounds corny, but I believe that people are getting better.
In other words, I believe in moral progress. It is not a steady progress,
but there is a long-term trend in the right direction—a two steps forward,
one step back kind of progress.

I believe, but cannot prove, that our species is passing through a
transitional stage, from being animals to being true humans. I do not
pretend to understand what true humans will be like, and I expect that I
would not even understand it if I met them. Yet, I believe that our own
universal sense of right and wrong is pointing us in the right direction,
and that it is the direction of our future.

I believe that ten thousand years from now, people (or whatever we are by
then) will be more empathetic and more altruistic than we are. They will
trust each other more, and for good reason. They will take better care of
each other. They be more thoughtful about the broader consequences of their
actions. They will take better care of their future than we do of ours.

from http://www.edge.org/q2005/q05_4.html

[P]

I suggest reality is group perception, and any change to reality therefore has to be motivated from within ourselves as a cause before its effect can be manifested as an energy investment in this group reality.

I'm saying what we feel inside can alter physical reality. We see this in medical cases all the time. The proof is there.

Now apply this on a mass level, and I think we are only scraping the surface of what we as a species are capable of.

Moral ethics aside, it takes a pack of wolves to bring down the bison.

(flame gear on)

[Rick]

That's a great link.

I met Danny Hillis recently and he possesses an impressive intellect. He's also a nice guy and fun to talk with.