MailBucket home // existential
Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:18:05 -0400
It occurs to me there are 2 major schools of thought around existential
risk:
R1. The end is nigh and there's nothing we can do about it.
Between rationalists and rapturists, the distinction is effectively
meaningless. The effect of having this philosophy is to *discount one's
existence as possibly impactful*. The natural extrapolation from this is
to think of humanity itself as rather pointless as well. A lazy,
self-serving behavior is perfectly justified - even glorified - in a person
dominated by R1.
R2. The end is surely possible ... but we can work to improve the odds.
Again, it doesn't matter whether this viewpoint stems from a Christian faith
in good works for God's earth or a humanist's faith in man's ability as
evidenced by experience. The net effect of having this thought pattern is
to *take responsibility* and work as if every second counts. Naturally,
having this viewpoint makes one see every other person as having potential
and every situation as ripe with possibility.
Honestly, I find myself waffling between these two, quite valid, viewpoints,
although I tend towards R2.
Mostly it depends on whether I'm fed and well rested.
Perhaps this is the underlying secret to shifting the earth towards #R2....
make sure people are fed and well rested!