Re: virus: Logic and Purpose

David McFadzean (david@lucifer.com)
Thu, 16 Oct 1997 18:06:39 -0600


At 03:06 PM 10/16/97 -0400, Reed Konsler wrote:

>and logical operation...when all the ducks are in line. It is more
>accurate to say "I value consistency and logical coherence above
>sexual gratification or money (etc.)."

Or maybe consistency and logical coherence are necessary conditions
for other values: honesty, justice, recognition by certain
respected people, scientific discovery, engineering design, etc.

>>From your perspective, David, genetic and memetic paradigms lead
>you to the impression that logic and reason must underly the reality
>and comprise it's deep structure. This rationalizes the high valuation
>of logic and reason: Since the universe operates according to logical
>rules one is most successful when one behaves in a logical fashion.

Is it just a rationalization, or is it true?

>In "Getting Past OK" Richard suggests that one discover their
>personal purpose. Once discovered, this purpose acts as a center
>or beacon around which goals can be formulated and pursued.
>Such an individual is consistently seeking the same purpose but
>will not necessarly be in any other way consistent or reasonable.

There are some questions that Richard doesn't touch on in the
book (to my knowledge). Where does the personal purpose come
from? Can it be changed? The core needs are all things that
one seeks, what about things that one avoids?

>that meme. At no time is it neccesarily consistent with my
>purpose to act consistently or to place any value at all on truth
>or reason...though it is very often consistent to program other
>people to act consistently and the place value on truth and
>reason.

If they are your competitors. What about your allies?

>Making people too logical might actually be a terrible danger,
>as is alluded to in Stephenson's _Snow Crash_. Causing everyone
>to operate under a universal logical operating system creates
>an environment in which a "logic viruses" become possible.
>
>One example being Rand's Objectivism. Another being science.

Is memetics a possible cure, or just another virus?

>A universal operating system makes transmission of information
>faster...but to what purpose?

I think there is more to it than faster transmission of
information.

>---------------------------------------------------
>What is the purpose of the Church of Virus?
>---------------------------------------------------

The official purpose or the hidden agenda? :-)
But seriously, I'll wait for others to answer first.

--
David McFadzean                 david@lucifer.com
Memetic Engineer                http://www.lucifer.com/~david/
Church of Virus                 http://www.lucifer.com/virus/