“Lifeism” on LW—It’s weird to me that some folks (who are very familiar with typical mind fallacy) cannot accept the fact that some people wouldn’t want to live forever.
I have no problem with people who don’t want to live forever (or even for an incredibly long time). Part of my transhumanism is that people should be allowed to die on their own terms. Sure, it makes me sad that my family will one day die, but it’s not my place to make that decision for them.
What I do have a problem with is people dismissing anti-deathism without giving proper arguments (mostly just accepting the status-quo) or telling me I also should accept death as a neutral or positive thing.
Shelly Kagen was helpful to me in being more accepting of death.
I grew up Evangelical Christian and I’m often fascinated by what I view as a case of something like death denial in the LW/cryonics/transhumanism crowd. It reminds me of the people I knew who embraced religion as a death transcendence mechanism.
should accept death as a neutral or positive thing
There is gratuitous pain that often accompanies the dying process. Plus, loved ones will miss you—that sucks. But “death” is just a transition to non-existence. If you stop existing—and are unaware of your non-existence—that seems utterly neutral by any measure. (The only counterargument I remember is some sort opportunity cost plea whereby staying alive allows you to accumulate more utilons and fuzzies...therefore death = bad.)
Further, from a evolutionary standpoint, it seems we should be aware that the bias against death is likely extremely strong, since any species without a strong “anti-death” drive likely died out. It’s part of the reason it irked me about LW that some argued so vehemently that death is rationally bad.
I have no problem with people who don’t want to live forever (or even for an incredibly long time). Part of my transhumanism is that people should be allowed to die on their own terms. Sure, it makes me sad that my family will one day die, but it’s not my place to make that decision for them.
What I do have a problem with is people dismissing anti-deathism without giving proper arguments (mostly just accepting the status-quo) or telling me I also should accept death as a neutral or positive thing.
Shelly Kagen was helpful to me in being more accepting of death.
I grew up Evangelical Christian and I’m often fascinated by what I view as a case of something like death denial in the LW/cryonics/transhumanism crowd. It reminds me of the people I knew who embraced religion as a death transcendence mechanism.
There is gratuitous pain that often accompanies the dying process. Plus, loved ones will miss you—that sucks. But “death” is just a transition to non-existence. If you stop existing—and are unaware of your non-existence—that seems utterly neutral by any measure. (The only counterargument I remember is some sort opportunity cost plea whereby staying alive allows you to accumulate more utilons and fuzzies...therefore death = bad.)
Further, from a evolutionary standpoint, it seems we should be aware that the bias against death is likely extremely strong, since any species without a strong “anti-death” drive likely died out. It’s part of the reason it irked me about LW that some argued so vehemently that death is rationally bad.