WISDOMISM A Moral Theory for the Age of Information
WISDOMISM A Moral Theory for the Age of Information by Tom W. Bell[Editor: this article is reprinted from Extropy # 2, winter 1989. Extropy was published by the Extropy institute ] In the last issue of EXTROPY, co-editor Max O'Connor presented a number of powerful arguments for amoralism in his article titled "Morality or Reality?"(https://arch-anarchism.blogspot.com/2023/12/morality-or-reality.html). While I share many of Max's sentiments, I think that he goes too far in rejecting all moral systems. He reveals the attitude of one who, disappointed with physicists’ failure to produce a grand unified theory, demands that we do away with physics altogether. As a guide to the behavior of rational, autonomous agents, morality serves an important role in our lives. Morality may still be imperfect, but that's no reason to quit the study of ethics altogether. Let's give morality another chance. ...