Dunno. You'd have to ask someone who believes in them. On 31 December 2014 at 16:49, Piaget Modeler via AGI <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hence the questions posed again: > > If souls do exist, are they a component of, parasite to or symbiant to a > living entity? > Do all living entities have souls? Why or why not? > > ~PM > > ------------------------------ > Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:52:34 +0000 > Subject: Re: [agi] The Uploading vs. Downloading Debate > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > > > Your definition of soul is lacking the essential elements of spirituality > and immortality. They are why most theists believe souls exist and most > atheists don't. > > Calum > > On 31 December 2014 at 14:18, Steve Richfield via AGI <[email protected]> > wrote: > > PM, et al, > > Your posting shows that you have, like 99+% of the population, been > apparently brainwashed!!! Allow me to explain. > > If you look up the definition of soul in old pre-computer dictionaries, it > refers to our own personal collections of memories, thoughts, feelings, etc. > > Then, along came computers, that could eventually have their own > collections of memories, thoughts, etc., not to mention holding the > memories, thoughts, etc, of prior living people. > > OH NO, Religion reduced to just bits in a computer!!! There MUST be more > to us than THAT. So, along came other definitions designed to dodge the > possibility of possible computer implementation. > > So, unless you hold the firm belief that whatever we are can NOT be held > in a computer, which if you did you wouldn't be here on this forum, then > souls most definitely DO exist. The legacy definition restated in AGI terms > would be something like (improvements invited): > > *soul: A particular entity's collection of memories, thoughts, feelings, > etc., implemented in a substrate capable of continuing those thoughts, > forming new feelings, and collecting additional memories.* > > Having had MANY discussions about this with various religious adherents, > they can NOT resolve this with their present religious beliefs, and so must > choose which to accept. Until there are uploaded people walking around, it > seems to be impossible to change a religious mindset. > > Note that this impinges directly on what psychologists call "locus of > control". Most people fall into one of two clearly-delineated categories: > 1. External locus of control, who believe that they are controlled by > higher powers, e.g. God, government, schools,parents, etc., or > 2. Internal locus of control, who believe that THEY are in control > despite government, parents, schools, etc. > > Nearly all religious zealots have an eternal locus of control, while > nearly all AGI zealots have an internal locus of control, so never shall > these two groups agree on much of anything. > > A social phenomenon I have observed are those who believe that their > knee-jerk feelings come directly from God, so they follow those feelings > with the belief that they are of divine origin. Needless to say these > people run into MANY problems as they let their unrestrained feelings guide > their actions, as a shortcut to thinking. After watching one former > consulting client send his corporation into meltdown doing this, I > extracted his solemn promise NOT to do this again before accepting a > subsequent assignment - only to watch him do this yet again. They can't > seem to help how they think. They would probably continue doing this even > after being uploaded/downloaded. > > Steve > ========================= > On Mon, Dec 29, 2014 at 7:39 PM, Piaget Modeler via AGI <[email protected]> > wrote: > > A materialist would say that Souls don't exist: souls are just an idea > to make people feel better about death. > > If souls do exist, are they a parasite or symbiant to a living entity, > and do all living entities have souls? Why or why not? > > ~PM > > > > > > Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 22:03:10 -0500 > > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [agi] The Uploading vs. Downloading Debate > > > > On Mon, Dec 29, 2014 at 11:56:18PM +0800, Ben Goertzel via AGI wrote: > > > > > > However, it's a crude term, which is why Randal Koene advocates to talk > > > about "substrate-independent minds" instead... > > > > > > -- Ben > > > > > Souls are substrate independant minds. > > As information theory says, information can't be destroyed, > > so the experience continues after the death of the material body. > > Much as fermionic electrons that die in a circuit tranform > > into bosonic information or heat entropy. > > Such is the fate of any living thing. > > > > -- > > Logan Streondj > > > > > > ------------------------------------------- > > AGI > > Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now > > RSS Feed: > https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/19999924-4a978ccc > > Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?&; > > Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com > *AGI* | Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> > <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/10443978-6f4c28ac> | > Modify <https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;> Your Subscription > <http://www.listbox.com> > > > > > -- > Full employment can be had with the stoke of a pen. Simply institute a six > hour workday. That will easily create enough new jobs to bring back full > employment. > > *AGI* | Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> > <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/26879140-5b8435c3> | > Modify <https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;> Your Subscription > <http://www.listbox.com> > > > *AGI* | Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> > <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/19999924-4a978ccc> | > Modify <https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;> Your Subscription > <http://www.listbox.com> > *AGI* | Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> > <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/26879140-5b8435c3> | > Modify > <https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;> > Your Subscription <http://www.listbox.com> > ------------------------------------------- AGI Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/21088071-f452e424 Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=21088071&id_secret=21088071-58d57657 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
