Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #10650



To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: "Thomas Pilgaard" ascii@hum.auc.dk
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 19:52:42 +0100
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: BEAM: Tendency toward miniaturization



> >Personality doesn't causally arise with complexity. Our skills
> as humans is
> >not a product of our brains - it is the result of not only a lifetime of
> >being-in-the-world, but also a of many generations passing of "tacit"
> >knowledge through genetic material.
>
> No, I don't think so. You can't honestly believe that genetic material
> makes one act a certain way.

No I don't, but what makes us human is as much a result of evolution as of
our individual being-in-the-world. My point was to stress, that a lifetime
of experiences may be what makes it so difficult to make antropomorphic
machines.

> You are taught whether intentionally or
> unintentionally whatever it is that make you you, throughout your
> lifetime.

Exactly, we agree fully on this.

> Modern American psychology upholds this belief. Now I can understand that
> maybe someone who reacts to stress with say an ulcer, may have
> children who
> react in the same way....but when it really comes down to it, a violent
> person TEACHES his/her children to react violently...it isn't
> just passed on
> through genetics.

No not at all. I never ment to suggest this.

> Twin studies have proven this to be more than
> often true.

yes, I am aware of that.

>
> Sorry...don't mean to get my feathers ruffled up....I just can't
> fathom that
> my personality was passed on from my parents by any means other than good
> old fashioned authoritative teaching.

Still, we agree.

Regards,
Thomas

>
> Dane Gardner
>
>
>

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