Technology seems to be especially suited for such an unquestioning, mechanicistic, and optimistic approach to religion/spirituality. — baker
It is already happening in the Pagan communities. — Bret Bernhoft
The second quote attempts to explain the first. — 180 Proof
If anything, I see a convergence between what you call "techno-optimistic religion" and existing religions/spiritualities. — baker
"I have no idea" because what you describe, Bret, does not make any sense to me. — 180 Proof
Post-singularity ubiquitous smart nanotech seems more likely to transform planetary civilization into a Global Experience Machine^ (à la "The Matrix" or wireheading^^) than to enable hedonic beings to somehow "transcend" (or to religiously seek "transcendence from") being hedonic. — 180 Proof
The tone of some cosmism seems to be similar to your modern techno-optimism, though of course the technological focus has changed. — Jamal
Just don't confuse it with anything spiritual. — Wayfarer
Phase locking is not energy. It is something which occurs in physical processes. — wonderer1
...do you have any links to support these claims? — flannel jesus
The US forefathers risked everything for democracy and obviously, life is about more than matter. — Athena
Which energies do you believe are known by science but materialists all reject? — flannel jesus
Are those forms of energy something physicists know about and study? — flannel jesus
Such as? :chin: — 180 Proof
That is what Thomas Jefferson, and Cicero before him, meant when they spoke of the pursuit of happiness.
Before we focused education on the advancement of technology for military and Industrial purposes, we had education for conceptualizing, and being overly materialistic was deemed inferior. Learning a technology is for the working class, not the ruling class.
Concepts are not matter and yet they can be very powerful. Some concepts are very spiritual in nature and this can improve our health. Clearly, there is more to reality than matter. — Athena
Energy is, believe it or not, considered part of the material world. Materialists believe in physics. Physics is all about how matter is moved around and changed by energy. So saying these things can't be accounted for in materialism, and then saying "that's because it requires energy to happen", seems to be a misunderstanding of materialism.
Of course materialists believe in energy! How else could matter move and change momentum!? — flannel jesus
Really? Why not? — flannel jesus
All the sources of knowledge we have to choose from make living a wonderful thing. It appears you want to enjoy it all as I do. — Athena
How can "a beyond" the here and now provide "something better" to us within the here and now?
As a non-"materialist", what is it (ontically? epistemically?) about the material that you oppose?
What do you mean by "reality"? — 180 Proof
I don’t think it is reasonable because it involves the same activity: holding out for something better than the world. Theism is idealism run amok. It’s an exercise in slandering or dismissing the world, and holding oneself (one’s ideas, consciousness, mind) over and above it.
The problem with seeking the middle and not leaning one way or the other is that you never get to help decide where the center is. — NOS4A2
You might enjoy The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra. — Athena
Clarify what you mean by "reasonable" in this context. Thanks. — 180 Proof
The truth must always be the goal... — chiknsld
...rather than games of rhetoric, though it is nice to have fun. — chiknsld
If good code is wisdom and artificial intelligence is a shortcut, then your claim would make some sense. Trouble is, I'm not convinced that good code is wisdom (or is comparable to wisdom). Neither would I want to call wisdom "what works, what is effective." Usually when we talk about wisdom we are talking about something more than that, and that something is not particularly susceptible to shortcuts. Maybe another way to say, "Beware of unearned wisdom," is, "Don't make the mistake of confusing that bumper sticker with wisdom." "Do not believe that you are wise because you have read lots of bumper stickers, or because you spend a good deal of time on Facebook." — Leontiskos
About protecting something, you made me remember that both in religions and in ancient philosophy we find an interest to keep certain knowledge secret. — Angelo Cannata
I certainly hope the spirit of the shaman is strong somewhere in the world. It is a tree and forest that has been cut down. — 0 thru 9
...set of rules, algorithms, and conditions that determine the behavior of a program. It's the part of the code that makes decisions, performs calculations, and controls the flow of data.