If we knew for sure... (General)

by dhw, Friday, September 25, 2009, 16:56 (5350 days ago)

BBella: What if mankind as a whole did finally find out/discover without any shadow of doubt, there is or is not a UI? Then what? [...] Would life be any different for any of you personally? What about globally?-This is a great subject! You can imagine what a field day the Church would have if it was a yes (ah, but which Church?).-For me, if there was no UI, or a couldn't-care-less UI, it wouldn't make the slightest difference. But otherwise, I think I would feel insecure. Of course you have cleverly omitted to tell us anything about its nature. I really don't like the idea of surveillance, prescription, judgement by a power whose motives and standards are not known to me. I suppose if it's a nice kind gentle loving UI, I'll carry on as normal, except that I would probably want to express my admiration and gratitude. If it's not nice and kind, heaven help all of us (which it won't).-Globally, I think the non-existence of a UI would make a huge difference. There would be a terrible escalation of depression among the poor and the oppressed. Religion, like it or not, is one of the very few things that bring them hope. The idea of a benevolent UI, which might give them peace and love and consolation in a glorious afterlife, has to be counted as a positive. And although I do not accept that religion has created a moral framework that society itself can't erect, it could be that some elements would feel even freer than they do now to trample over others. -On the plus side, if there were no religion, out would go all the bigotry and oppression perpetrated in its name. The bigots and oppressors would probably find other outlets, but maybe there would be more of a movement towards humanism through education, since all moral values would have to be based on social codes rather than obsolete texts. I did say "maybe". -If there was a known UI, the global effect theoretically would be unity. But if it made itself known, I don't think humanity would have a choice ... we would have to conform to whatever it wanted. In that statement lies a many-layered theology which is a subject for discussion all on its own.-Just in case the discussion should flourish, I'm taking this off the "Irreducible Complexity" thread.