X-Message-Number: 359
From att!lsuc!canrem!ben.best Fri Jun 21 09:42:58 1991
Message-ID: <>
From:  (Ben Best)
Date: 21 Jun 91 (09:20)
To: 
Subject: cosmic issues & branden

   In reply to my blast about Nathaniel Branden, Alan Lovejoy says
that probability theory justifies the idea that "mortality is a
given". One problem with this argument is that although longer time
periods increase the likelihood of life-threatening accidents, time,
intelligence and technology also increase the likelihood that
life-threatening situations can be avoided. It seems plausible that the
probability of something fatal and "unexpected" happening in infinite
time is finite -- but this is a subjective probability assessment
without basis in objective quantifiability. I didn't really mean to
raise these kinds of cosmic and unanswerable issues -- I was more
interested on some of the thought-provoking comments Branden had made
in "Death Anxiety". Kevin is right in his caveat about immortality
being unprovable.

   Also, I apologize for my irrelevant character assassination on
Nathaniel Branden. My reaction was based on Branden's personal behavior,
partly in response to my questions -- and his treatment of me -- which
was unrelated to immortalism or his chapter on "Death Anxiety". I have
learned many things from Branden, so I cannot say he is not
intelligent -- it is just that he is not as honest or intelligent as
I had hoped he would be.

               -- Ben Best ()
--
Canada Remote Systems.  Toronto, Ontario
NorthAmeriNet Host

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