From: matt@smoke.brl.mil (Matthew Rosenblatt)
Newsgroups: misc.legal
Subject: Re: Virtual Ethics
Summary: Virtual Reality is deceitful, and Fashion is vain.
Keywords: Samuel Johnson
Date: 10 Apr 92 17:34:02 GMT
Organization: U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory, APG, MD.

In article <65174@apple.Apple.COM> chmilar@Apple.COM (Michael Chmilar) writes:

>kim3@husc10.harvard.edu (Jason Kim) writes:

>>. . . I think that everyone on such a net
>>will learn to value the *substantial* things in others, rather than just 
>>their physical charm (insubstantial because it is accidental and temporary)
>>thus leading to a greater maturity of society. I think this will be 
>>especially true in light of the fact that *everyone* will be able to make 
>>themselves look "perfect" (by modern standards). If everyone can look like 
>>the ideal model, then the value of having an ideal appearance drops to 
>>nothing, and the value of looks as a criterion of personal worth drops 
>>to nothing.   [Jason Kim]

>We still have a physical body.  We still have to breed, at some stage 
>during these wonderful relationships.   [Michael Chmilar]

Breeding is just the beginning of it.  Here's a girl who sees some guy
looking "perfect" (by modern standards) in Virtual Reality.  How is he
gonna support her?  With a "Virtual Job" or "Virtual Inherited Wealth"?
And how is gonna take out the garbage -- or does she think she can feed
him "Virtual Dinner" that leaves no garbage for him to take out?

And what about a guy who sees a "perfect" looking girl (by modern standards) 
in Virtual Reality?  The Scripture says that the good L-rd made Eve to be
a "help meet" for Adam.  Is she gonna provide "Virtual Help"?  Carry and
bear "Virtual Offspring"?  Change "Virtual Diapers"?  How is her computer
gonna pick up his very real, smelly, dirty socks?  With a robot?

>In any VR world, if there is mass communal interaction, there will be some
>notion of fashion.  Fashion may be based on this mechanism:  I have some
>unique trait (tall/short, thin/fat, able to spew out large prime numbers
>quickly, good color sense, etc.) which I manage to convince other people
>is cool and worthwhile, so it becomes fashionable.  Not everyone has the
>same ability.  [Michael Chmilar]

The great Englishman, Samuel Johnson, once remarked that a man is better
pleased when he has a good dinner than when his wife talks Greek.  My
guess is that a man is better pleased with a clean house than when his
wife spews out large prime numbers quickly.  And the Book of Proverbs
tells us that "Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain," whereas the
good wife "riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth food to her
household, and a portion to her maidens."

>Therefore, cliques will still exist.  So will prejudice.  don't make the
>mistake of thinking that a brand new VR world will be utopia.  The only
>way that could happen is to have some totalitarian VR government which
>enforces utter equality.   [Michael Chmilar]

Once we start talking about governments enforcing equality, we're on
firmer ground here in misc.legal.

>Americans have completely screwed up notion of equality, somehow derived
>from misinterpreting their constitution.  "All men are created equal" does
>not mean that all men (or women) have equal abilities.  Some are smart,
>some are stupid.  Some are strong, some are weak.  What the constitution
>means is that no one should be excluded from an opportunity (a job, etc.)
>based upon race, age, sex, etc.  However, if you try to do something, and
>fail because you are incapable of doing it, that is just too bad for you!
>[Michael Chmilar]

Mr. Chmilar is striking pitilessly at the bitter nerve of truth.

>This will be the same in a VR world.  If you say that less capable people
>will be assisted by an AI "agent", then the more capable people will also
>get agents that again give them an edge.  How will these agents be obtained?
>You will probably have to buy them.  Capable people will be able to get
>the "money" needed for good agents more easily than less capable people.
>[Michael Chmilar]

What this means is that even the VR world will be cursed with the Envy 
and Resentment that are the bane of the real world.

					-- Matt Rosenblatt
                                        (matt@amsaa.brl.mil)

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