I feel sorry for the feminist women in cryonics who don’t see this as a distinct possibility of the kind of Future World which would revive them. They might find themselves in a conservative, patriarchal society which won’t have much tolerance for their assumptions about women’s freedoms.
At another point in the discussion, a man spoke of some benefit X of death, I don’t recall exactly what. And I said: “You know, given human nature, if people got hit on the head by a baseball bat every week, pretty soon they would invent reasons why getting hit on the head with a baseball bat was a good thing. But if you took someone who wasn’t being hit on the head with a baseball bat, and you asked them if they wanted it, they would say no. I think that if you took someone who was immortal, and asked them if they wanted to die for benefit X, they would say no.”
I am aware that some people live in Gor-inspired relationships, that some people are masochistic, that some women want to be dominated, and that more people would like to live that way than those who would care to admit it, or even that those who know for a fact that they would. I still assume these numbers to be small.
Of course people would adapt. That’s what people do. That doesn’t make it right.
In the past, almost everyone thought that one should wait until marriage for sex. Now, almost everyone (in my part of the world) believes in serial monogamy. In both these cases people think that their social norms are in the right. I see no reason not to suppose that if Gor lifestyle became the norm then most people (inc. women) would think it right (not just publically saying that its right).
I see no objective way to say that any of these lifestyles are right or wrong, unless it can be shown to be damaging the children.
What they believe in, or rather, endorse, and what they end up actually doing or wanting to do have usually been at odds. The ideal solution is different for every combination of individual and circumstance: the ideal universal solution is therefore an superstructural (ideological, legal, cultural, etc.) framework capable of running and accommodating any specific arrangement between interested parties. Objectively speaking, I think the only hard and fast rule is “Safe, Sane and Consensual”.
Suppose a 16-year-old agrees to have sex. Is that consent?
If a contract is made under “undue influence,” did I consent to it? Is that objective?
If my agreement is made under coercion, did I consent? What counts (morally) as coercion seems very fraught. Leftists and feminists frequently argue that many seemingly voluntary activities are actually deeply coercive, and use terms like “wage slavery.”
Suppose I agree to an act, then change my mind later. If the other person carries out the act anyway, did I consent to it? In law, and in most people’s intuition, the answer is “it depends.”
All in all, it looks very much like “communicated agreement” is the objective fact, and whether that gets upgraded to “consent” depends on a whole host of ethical judgments that are often contentious.
Consent is more objective than sanity, although there are edge cases:
Suppose a 16-year-old agrees to have sex. Is that consent?
Where I live 16-year-olds can legally have sex! Anyway, assuming things are different where you live, then yes, they can give consent, but their consent does not legally authorise sex.
If a contract is made under “undue influence,” did I consent to it? Is that objective?
If my agreement is made under coercion, did I consent? What counts (morally) as coercion seems very fraught. Leftists and feminists frequently argue that many seemingly voluntary activities are actually deeply coercive, and use terms like “wage slavery.”
Well, yes you did consent. This doen’t necessary make everything ok, and it might be better if there was less coersion, but you still consented.
Suppose I agree to an act, then change my mind later. If the other person carries out the act anyway, did I consent to it? In law, and in most people’s intuition, the answer is “it depends.”
You consented, and then withdrew your consent. If the other person carries out the act before you withdraw consent, then they can’t be blamed.
All in all, it looks very much like “communicated agreement” is the objective fact, and whether that gets upgraded to “consent” depends on a whole host of ethical judgments that are often contentious.
I’d say “communicated agreement” is consent by definition. Its possibly a word getting a little overloaded : the word consent can be used as in “Russia consented to hand over 1⁄4 of her territory to Germany” or as in “Let’s have sex!” while these are rather different in most important respects.
Is so called “marital rape” consensual since they consented to marry? (Most societies say yes, but lately in has become fashionable in Western countries to pass laws saying no).
What if someone says yes but feels pressured to?
If two drunk students had sex, has a rape occurred? (Yes, according to California’s new “Affirmative Consent” law).
Is so called “marital rape” consensual since they consented to marry?
A contract where one party permanently gives away all rights (love, honour and obey) seems deeply worrying, but OTOH, I don’t think people should take serious vows so lightly. Maybe a middle ground would be that a spouse can refuse sex, but this is grounds for divorce and they have no claim for alimony because they broke their half of the agreement? Either that, or don’t use the traditional vows.
What if someone says yes but feels pressured to?
What if someone only robs a bank because of peer pressure? Still guilty.
If two drunk students had sex, has a rape occurred?
It depends exactly what ‘drunk’ means. If someone is paralytic and can’t actually articulate the word ‘no’ then its rape. But drunk sex is perfectly normal, and if you consent to getting drunk then you are responsible for your actions while drunk.
Because it is ridiculous with respect to adults and California politicians think they can get away with infantilizing students and treating them like legal minors.
I think the glorious transhuman future will involve some sort of radical change, probably far more radical than Gor. People will have to adapt—even if they live in groups preserving 2014s norms, completely isolated from outsiders, they will have to adapt to the fact that they can’t influence the outside world and that baseline humans will be overtaken in all fields of endevour.
No, that just means that these women haven’t thought very hard about what living a really long time could mean. Those science fiction writers in the last century who postulated the return of traditional social structures in high-tech societies might have come closer to the reality of life in “the future” than they imagined, and some Neoreactionaries have pointed this out. Refer to this podcast by Richard Spencer, for example:
I’m puzzled by your focus on women. Many men probably don’t want to live in a patriarchal society either. I certainly don’t.
That’s aside from the fact that this really has very little to do with the subject at hand. There’s a distinct question of what you expect will happen and what one should try to make happen.
I’m puzzled by your focus on women. Many men probably don’t want to live in a patriarchal society either. I certainly don’t.
Thirded. My disquiet comes primarily from the idea of benefiting in status and power from a system that would systematically deny freedom and independent agency and security to half the people I know, and the notion that I would be denied the freedom to take on roles usually assigned to other groups should the situation warrant it.
I’m puzzled by your focus on women. Many men probably don’t want to live in a patriarchal society either. I certainly don’t.
Seconded. Dear Lord patriarchy is unappealing: you “get to” basically enslave a few women and children at the cost of having to spend your entire life on utterly unappealing status and machismo competitions.
Dear Lord patriarchy is unappealing: you “get to” basically enslave a few women and children at the cost of having to spend your entire life on utterly unappealing status and machismo competitions.
What do you mean by “status and machismo competitions”? Narrowly defined, in many patriarchal societies this is false. Seriously, read some history. Take a look at say 18th-19th century England. Some men could do many different things from becoming ascetic monks, to becoming gentlemen scientists, to sponsoring works of art, to yes even status and machismo competitions if that suites your fancy.
If you define “status and machismo competitions” broadly then we’re mostly doing the same thing today.
I wouldn’t be too surprised by the possibility of a future society returning to traditional social structures. I would be somewhat surprised by every future society returning to traditional social structures. Either way, I don’t see why this means feminists shouldn’t sign up for cryonics.
And this is worse than death?
Depends on how patriarchal the society is. Few women would like to live in, say, Gor. “Please freeze me again while I wait this out.”
Few women say they would like to live in Gor. But some would. Some live in Gor-inspired relationships now. And maybe people would adapt.
I am aware that some people live in Gor-inspired relationships, that some people are masochistic, that some women want to be dominated, and that more people would like to live that way than those who would care to admit it, or even that those who know for a fact that they would. I still assume these numbers to be small.
Of course people would adapt. That’s what people do. That doesn’t make it right.
In the past, almost everyone thought that one should wait until marriage for sex. Now, almost everyone (in my part of the world) believes in serial monogamy. In both these cases people think that their social norms are in the right. I see no reason not to suppose that if Gor lifestyle became the norm then most people (inc. women) would think it right (not just publically saying that its right).
I see no objective way to say that any of these lifestyles are right or wrong, unless it can be shown to be damaging the children.
What they believe in, or rather, endorse, and what they end up actually doing or wanting to do have usually been at odds. The ideal solution is different for every combination of individual and circumstance: the ideal universal solution is therefore an superstructural (ideological, legal, cultural, etc.) framework capable of running and accommodating any specific arrangement between interested parties. Objectively speaking, I think the only hard and fast rule is “Safe, Sane and Consensual”.
Except the meaning of all three of those terms is culture dependent.
“Sane” is certainly culture dependent, but consent seem relatively objective.
Really?
Suppose a 16-year-old agrees to have sex. Is that consent?
If a contract is made under “undue influence,” did I consent to it? Is that objective?
If my agreement is made under coercion, did I consent? What counts (morally) as coercion seems very fraught. Leftists and feminists frequently argue that many seemingly voluntary activities are actually deeply coercive, and use terms like “wage slavery.”
Suppose I agree to an act, then change my mind later. If the other person carries out the act anyway, did I consent to it? In law, and in most people’s intuition, the answer is “it depends.”
All in all, it looks very much like “communicated agreement” is the objective fact, and whether that gets upgraded to “consent” depends on a whole host of ethical judgments that are often contentious.
Consent is more objective than sanity, although there are edge cases:
Where I live 16-year-olds can legally have sex! Anyway, assuming things are different where you live, then yes, they can give consent, but their consent does not legally authorise sex.
Well, yes you did consent. This doen’t necessary make everything ok, and it might be better if there was less coersion, but you still consented.
You consented, and then withdrew your consent. If the other person carries out the act before you withdraw consent, then they can’t be blamed.
I’d say “communicated agreement” is consent by definition. Its possibly a word getting a little overloaded : the word consent can be used as in “Russia consented to hand over 1⁄4 of her territory to Germany” or as in “Let’s have sex!” while these are rather different in most important respects.
That looks doubtful as you need to be sane to give consent, don’t you?
I think this entire conversation is just getting bogged down as to how do define ‘consent’ and ‘sanity’.
Is so called “marital rape” consensual since they consented to marry? (Most societies say yes, but lately in has become fashionable in Western countries to pass laws saying no).
What if someone says yes but feels pressured to?
If two drunk students had sex, has a rape occurred? (Yes, according to California’s new “Affirmative Consent” law).
A contract where one party permanently gives away all rights (love, honour and obey) seems deeply worrying, but OTOH, I don’t think people should take serious vows so lightly. Maybe a middle ground would be that a spouse can refuse sex, but this is grounds for divorce and they have no claim for alimony because they broke their half of the agreement? Either that, or don’t use the traditional vows.
What if someone only robs a bank because of peer pressure? Still guilty.
It depends exactly what ‘drunk’ means. If someone is paralytic and can’t actually articulate the word ‘no’ then its rape. But drunk sex is perfectly normal, and if you consent to getting drunk then you are responsible for your actions while drunk.
… Why students specifically?
Because it is ridiculous with respect to adults and California politicians think they can get away with infantilizing students and treating them like legal minors.
Actually, I suspect they’re hoping to keep getting away with infantilizing that generation even after they leave college.
Oh, I am sure they’re dreaming of it, but I don’t think it will quite work. Not yet, at least.
“So called?” Do you seriously think a wife surrenders her autonomy permanently before the altar?
I would agree that the desirability of the Gor future largely depends on whether its consensual.
If you are planning your glorious transhuman future on the premise that people will adapt, you’re doing it wrong.
I think the glorious transhuman future will involve some sort of radical change, probably far more radical than Gor. People will have to adapt—even if they live in groups preserving 2014s norms, completely isolated from outsiders, they will have to adapt to the fact that they can’t influence the outside world and that baseline humans will be overtaken in all fields of endevour.
Furthermore, it will likely lead to many outcomes that people today would complain about and disapprove of.
No, that just means that these women haven’t thought very hard about what living a really long time could mean. Those science fiction writers in the last century who postulated the return of traditional social structures in high-tech societies might have come closer to the reality of life in “the future” than they imagined, and some Neoreactionaries have pointed this out. Refer to this podcast by Richard Spencer, for example:
http://www.radixjournal.com/vanguard-radio/2014/8/15/archeo-futurist-messiah
I’m puzzled by your focus on women. Many men probably don’t want to live in a patriarchal society either. I certainly don’t.
That’s aside from the fact that this really has very little to do with the subject at hand. There’s a distinct question of what you expect will happen and what one should try to make happen.
Thirded. My disquiet comes primarily from the idea of benefiting in status and power from a system that would systematically deny freedom and independent agency and security to half the people I know, and the notion that I would be denied the freedom to take on roles usually assigned to other groups should the situation warrant it.
Fourthed.
Seconded. Dear Lord patriarchy is unappealing: you “get to” basically enslave a few women and children at the cost of having to spend your entire life on utterly unappealing status and machismo competitions.
What do you mean by “status and machismo competitions”? Narrowly defined, in many patriarchal societies this is false. Seriously, read some history. Take a look at say 18th-19th century England. Some men could do many different things from becoming ascetic monks, to becoming gentlemen scientists, to sponsoring works of art, to yes even status and machismo competitions if that suites your fancy.
If you define “status and machismo competitions” broadly then we’re mostly doing the same thing today.
I still don’t get why you’d prefer to live in a world where women cannot do all those awesome things as well.
Your mistake here was thinking I enjoy what we have today.
Ok, then you won’t be any more disappointed up on waking up in a patriarchy.
Of course there were plenty of options...they were post enlightenment societies.
I wouldn’t be too surprised by the possibility of a future society returning to traditional social structures. I would be somewhat surprised by every future society returning to traditional social structures. Either way, I don’t see why this means feminists shouldn’t sign up for cryonics.