Allisonism

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Our world is experiencing advancement of new technologies in an almost alarming rate. Can human morality and ethical beliefs hinder that advancement in knowledge and technology? What kind of ethical concerns could arise from these advancements? Could humans actually create life in their own image and if so what kind of message would that send?

The possibilities of mankind creating life are quickly becoming a reality. The implications of this kind of technological advancement could have a devastating effect on theism. Atheist’s already believe that life on this planet is not the product of a single omnipresent entity, or God. If science gains the ability to create intelligent life whether it is biological or electro-mechanical, will this manufactured intelligence completely disassemble theistic religious beliefs?

Will mankind grow lazy and ignorant because we develop devices to work and think for us? Can machines empowered with an artificial intelligence develop free will? Or could deterministic devices comprised of mechanical assemblies and electrical circuits actually destroy the imperfect biological machines who call themselves their creators? These questions are being asked time and again by scientists and other scholars involved in these areas of technology.

In today's world of computers and lightning fast telecommunications, technological advancements are happening by the minute. The possibility of some huge blunder in a laboratory somewhere becomes more possible each day. Yes; mankind should be concerned about what our scientists are doing. The first issue that everyone should be aware of is the impact any given technology will have on the biosphere we call home. Could some technological disaster spell the end of life as we know it?

To apply a personal philosophy on the advancement of technology and ethical concerns that may arise as a result I had to start from the basics. My theoretical philosophy on the origin of mankind plays a major role in the philosophy I have labeled as Allisonism. Mankind did not just appear as a random mixing of chemicals and amino acids. Mankind was deliberately placed on this planet by people much like ourselves, not by some unseen omnipresent entity. I cannot believe we were evolved from apes, apes are here to remind us that there are differences between intelligent human life and that of primitive animals.

"Human-computer interaction is a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them." (ACM SIGCHI, 1992 - 1996)

As computers were first introduced to their human counterparts; the relationship between man and processor was basically epistemic, a kind of extension to human cognition. As advancements in computer technology progressed; the abilities for human-computer interaction to create simulated virtual societies within strictly controlled environments became possible. This is allowing humans to interact with any number of hypothetical situations that otherwise would have been performed within our own physical environment. This kind of relationship is ontological in that it extends to places and things virtually, allowing humans to experiment in an environment that will not effect our physical world. This hybrid relationship between humans and computers are unique to information technology and cannot be applied to any other human-technology relationship.

Throughout time we have been observed and nurtured by our creators. The concept of God or of any all-powerful entity was most likely a method used to instill morals and ethical values upon us. In a purely scientific condensed explanation of transcendence I will simply state the facts that all living things, including human life, are basically biological machines that use electrical energy to live. It is known scientific fact that energy cannot be destroyed or made into “nothing”, it can however change form.

“The First Law of Thermodynamics says that energy under normal conditions cannot be created or destroyed, simply transformed from one type of energy to another.” (jccc.net, 2000).

When a biological life form stops working (dies) it loses an amount of weight directly proportionate to the weight of the mass that was the energy that powered the now dead biological machine. This is where I believe in transcendence of physical biological life to a higher consciousness.

To sum up my thoughts and personal philosophies on this very interesting and controversial subject; I feel that mankind has the capacity for a bright future. My view of our bio-diversity; of our scientific study and research into bio-ethics, and the moralities born on our technological advancements is a view that I think many people throughout time will agree. Mankind is intelligent enough to know when to quit.

My view of the metaphysical is dim at best. I cannot begin to even see any sense in God, other than the belief in God was a way to understand what could not be understood. I must go along with the some of the philosophical views of Friedrich Nietzsche. It seems that the majority of the worlds greatest thinkers; past, present and likely future all share this purely scientific reality.

I believe in transcendence and I must be an advocate of the fact that there is a higher existence, after we shed our physical body in a metamorphoses to adulthood.

References

ACM SIGCHI. (1992 - 1996). ACM SIGCHI Curricula
for Human-Computer Interaction. Retrieved
from http://old.sigchi.org/cdg/cdg2.html

jccc.net. (2000). The Laws of Energy: Thermodynamics. Retrieved from
http://staff.jccc.net/pdecell/metabolism/thermodyn.html