The Faithful have excellent manners and their ethics are impeccable. But they have a chip in their head that tells them what to do and think (so they aren’t really all there). This chip was put there by very good, smart people who want only the best for the world.
The Free are good, bad, smart, stupid, depending on the person, day and mood. They are usually pretty ok neighbors but occasionally they are extremely wonderful or terrible (then look out!). They mostly think for themselves and do what they like.
This chip was put there by very good, smart people who want only the best for the world.
That’s a funny joke!
Assume there’s a legitimately strong argument for their goodness and smartness.
There isn’t, because installing chips in everyone that effectively over-rides their identity is mutually exclusive with “goodness”
Ok, instead of a chip use strong propaganda.
It doesn’t matter how you do it, if your goal is to make someone think the way you want them to, rather than trying to get them to think for themselves, it’s the same problem
@ada Word.
Some people need a master. Children tempted to drink gasoline, for example.
Assuming that the control could be resisted, call that a test. A test of self-awareness. If you can resist then you get free will, if you don’t then you don’t. It could be appropriate either way.
Children tempted to drink gasoline, for example.
Sure. But the goal with kids is to work them towards being able to think for themselves. We guide them until they can, and even then, the guidance should look like rules and guidelines, not indoctrination of thoughts and beliefs.
And lets take your scenario and extend it. Lets say that aliens come along, and they see our planet, and they realise that it’s doomed because if they don’t intervene, scenario X will happen. They can’t solve this for us, so they need us to mobilise to save ourselves.
Aliens that come along and set “rules for our own good”, and enforce certain protective rules and regulations, like strict space parents, but do so without trying to control what we think are more “good” than aliens that indoctrinate away our free will and artificially create “voluntary” compliance.
In the first scenario, the space parents are saving us. In the second scenario, the space parents are replacing us.
The Free, for me.
OP has an essay due.
> This chip was put there by very good, smart people who want only the best for the world.
Which version of the “best for the world” are we talking? Your “best for the world” does not necessarily match my “best for the world”.
Assume that it’s one you like.
@infinite_ass What about everyone else? Will my friends be happy and secure with it? People I don’t know or care about? Hell, even my enemies?
I highly doubt it.
You don’t think we could hit 99% popularity?
Fuck no. Is this a real question? You think you could come up with away of living that would meet a 99% approval rating? We can’t even get a 99% approval rating on thoughts like “education is good” and “killing people is bad”.
