fubarobfusco comments on A cynical explanation for why rationalists worry about FAI - Less Wrong

25 Post author: aaronsw 04 August 2012 12:27PM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (179)

You are viewing a single comment's thread.

Comment author: fubarobfusco 04 August 2012 07:33:58PM *  4 points [-]

Scarcely the most cynical conceivable explanation. Here, try this one:

"Yes," declaimed Deep Thought, "I said I'd have to think about it, didn't I? And it occurs to me that running a programme like this is bound to create an enormous amount of popular publicity for the whole area of philosophy in general. Everyone's going to have their own theories about what answer I'm eventually to come up with, and who better to capitalize on that media market than you yourself? So long as you can keep disagreeing with each other violently enough and slagging each other off in the popular press, you can keep yourself on the gravy train for life. How does that sound?"

The two philosophers gaped at him.

"Bloody hell," said Majikthise, "now that is what I call thinking. Here Vroomfondel, why do we never think of things like that?"

"Dunno," said Vroomfondel in an awed whisper, "think our brains must be too highly trained, Majikthise."

So saying, they turned on their heels and walked out of the door and into a lifestyle beyond their wildest dreams.

— Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, ch. 25

Comment author: vi21maobk9vp 05 August 2012 09:18:51AM 2 points [-]

I guess there was an implied aditional limitation of being well-meaning on the consious level.