Analytical – Argument of evaluation

In Defense of Posthuman Dignity by Nick Bostrom

          It is difficult, even nearly impossible, to simply state whether this article is good or bad. The writing style is clear and to the point, there are no mistakes, and the author takes the time to explain more difficult concepts and links to other works in case the reader is not familiar with them. However, throughout the whole article there is a sense that maybe concepts are being over simplified, or that arguments are not being supported properly. Through this analysis I will attempt to evaluate Nick Bostrom’s article in a way that is fair and constructive.

          Firstly, the positives. As previously stated, the writing is very well done. There are section titles which help the reader pause at the right times to “digest” the section they have just read. This sectioning of the text is important due to the heavy nature of the topic. The sections help cut down the text which would otherwise be impossible to follow because of its length. Another very positive feature of this article is the simplification of concepts and small summaries of other texts that are mentioned in the bioconservatives’ opinions. A great example of this is when they refer to Huxley’s Brave New World. Though the author mentions that this is a fairly well-known piece of writing, he takes the time to describe the basics of the world in this text; “It is static, totalitarian, caste-bound; its culture is a wasteland. The brave new worlders themselves are a dehumanized and undignified lot (…) a tragedy of technology and social engineering being used to deliberately cripple moral and intellectual capacities” (Bostrom 2005).

          However, through all the arguments that the author brings up to support the transhumanists and counter the bioconservatives, he fails to acknowledge that posthumans would be different than the humans of today. In one of his main comparisons, he says that “Even today, the segment containing the tallest ninety percent of the population could, in principle, get together and kill or enslave the shorter decile.” (Bostrom 2005). This argument does not mean anything because tall people and short people are still basically the same, neither group has the advantage of never being sick, or controlling their emotions. In the discussed situation of humans versus posthumans, the posthumans will invariably be more than human and will have advantages on the humans. Later on, he also compares posthumans to trans people, which is a completely false comparison. Trans people do not seek immunity to disease or death, they do not seek greater intelligence, all things that posthumans will theoretically have. The only thing their body modification does is make their body match how their mind feels.

          To conclude, the examples used in this article undermine the terrific writing of the author. This gives the reader a bad impression of posthumans and transhumanists because the arguments used to defend them have no basis and do not transmit the right message. Overall, I appreciated this article but am left very underwhelmed by the arguments and the over simplification.

I really tried to not make this sound like a pretentious food blog, I hope it worked.

My favourite recipe is one that I stumbled on several years ago. I made it according to the recipe the first time I made it, but since that time I have not been able to find it anywhere, therefore every time I make it, it evolves just a little more. This is the part when I warn you that the instructions that follow are a pretty much a total guess for quantities and cooking times, because I always just go by instinct.

          Taco salad is, in my opinion, the perfect meal. You get the best parts of a taco; the protein, the freshness and the intense flavour without the hassle of having to put them together. It also works well at any time of the year, due to it being so refreshing but filling at the same time. The version that I have been making recently includes tofu, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese (whichever kind is in the fridge), crushed tortilla chips and a dressing of Greek yogurt (healthier alternative to sour cream), lime, chili powder, garlic powder (when I don’t forget it) and cilantro. None of the ingredients are measured out, I always just eyeball it, so it never tastes exactly the same but is always absolutely delicious.

          The most important part of this recipe is the dressing, depending on the quantities and ratios of ingredients, it will make the salad either super light and refreshing or super filling and perfect for a cold winter dinner. The base is a good, plain Greek yogurt. The amount of yogurt used will depend on personal preference for thickness and quantity of dressing. Given that I typically make this for 5 people, I tend to make a large quantity of dressing (it is easily the best part of the dish). To the base, add the juice of half a large lime, again depending on how tangy you want it, feel free to adjust. Then add chili and garlic powder, to taste and finally as much chopped fresh cilantro as your heart desires. This dressing usually comes out very thick, and I have not found a good way to thin it out yet, though whisking it seems to help a little. Let the dressing sit in the fridge until the salad is finished, to let all the flavours mix together.

          Now the tofu. Tofu always works best if it pressed for a while before cooking, but this will work even you forget (I pretty much always forget to take it out in advance). Crumble the tofu down into about 5-10mm pieces. In a small bowl, mix together your favourite taco spices (I use chili powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt and pepper) and then use the mix to coat the tofu pieces as evenly as possible. Add a few tablespoons of corn starch to the coated tofu, it helps the pieces become crispy. Heat oil in pan and add onions. Once that is hot, add the tofu and mix occasionally with a wooden spoon. After about 10 minutes at medium heat, add a small amount of salsa to add a little moisture to the mix. Test pieces at regular intervals until you are happy with the cook of the tofu.

          Make a salad base using lettuce, tomatoes, grated cheese and crushed tortilla chips. Add the tofu mix and toss the salad until everything is evenly distributed. Serve in shallow bowls and add dressing liberally. Enjoy.

Persuasive response defending Dr. Mierzwiak

Who hasn’t wished to erase a painful memory? A bad breakup, the death of a loved one, a traumatic experience? Through his work at Lacuna, Dr. Mierszwiak managed to give people that chance. He allowed them to get past their pain and suffering and continue their lives as though nothing had ever happened. Erasing a memory allows the person to move on without the years of therapy, making their lives inherently much simpler.

          It can be argued that removing a memory from someone’s mind, especially a painful one which are the ones that can shape or reshape our thinking, is taking away part of their personality. This was shown in the case of Clementine Kruczynski when she seemed to be spiraling out of control after erasing Joel Barish.

          We must however consider the positive aspects of this particular case. Erasing the person who brought out these personality and character problems allows the patient to determine the root cause of these issues. They will have to come face to face with their problems and fix them, becoming a better person in the process. Without a partner to blame for them, they will have to take responsibility for them. Due to Clementine and Joel finding each other again, they are doomed to repeat the same cycle of pain, and never fix their personal issues. They may be lucky and make the relationship work this time, but only if they face the fact that they both have problems that they cannot always blame on each other.

          Dr. Mierszwiak went into this with only the best intentions, wanting to help people. That is what the did. Until people who couldn’t handle the truth decided that his actions were unethical or even despicable. I would like to remind the public that these erasing procedures were done only with extensive written and oral consent from the patients, it was their own decision to have their memories erased. Almost all patients were able to move on from the pain and have a normal life.

          Now it must be mentioned that the procedure is only completely effective if the patient stays away from the person they erased. This is because the procedure only erases memories, not feelings or emotions which are often the root cause of our issues. This was demonstrated in both the case of Clementine and Joel, but also the case of Mary Svevo and Dr. Mierszwiak. In these two instances, the patient(s) interacted with the person they erased, and their feelings were never given a chance to fade. Mary Svevo had Dr. Mierszwiak erased after their affair went south, she still wanted to be able to work with him at Lacuna, just not remember the pain of their personal relationship. This backfired because her feelings remained.

          In short, Dr. Mierszwiak’s research and work at Lacuna have brought nothing but healing, happiness and second chances to people who went through with the procedure and stayed away from the person they erased. He never set out to eliminate feelings, only erase the memories that caused the feelings in the first place. His intentions were good, and he has helped many, many people. Any problems or pain encountered after the procedure were caused by friends and family not respecting the patient’s wishes or by underlying feelings which never went away and were in no way the fault of Dr. Mierszwiak or his work.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton