| There's something very religious about the whole singularity movement. Roko's Basilisk doesn't appear very different to me than Pascal's Wager, with the added twist that the God you have to believe in is actually a malevolent demiurge (as envisioned by the Gnostic christian sects more than a 1000 years ago). If you already have a cynical viewpoint on religion, then this thought experiment is very similar to the "deal" monotheistic religions have been offering through the ages. Either believe in our god (and therefore give us, as his sole representatives enormous, unfettered power), or suffer eternal hell! (or not ;) Throughout the ages, people were terrified of hell. This is just a modern twist on an old idea. I used to be scared of hell, until I realized that hell "existed" only as long I believed in it. If I stopped believing in it, it "disappeared". That's the power of belief. Yes, it might still exist whether I believe or not, but life is full of "what ifs", the contemplation of which might drive you crazy. Better to follow a positive and compassionate path then a fear based "what if" path. |