Tyranny of virtue? PVC likes the sound of that, right?
Tyranny of virtue? PVC likes the sound of that, right?
Vitiate Man.
History repeats the old conceits
The glib replies, the same defeats
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Days since the Apocalypse began
"We are living in space-age times but there's too many of us thinking with stone-age minds" | How to spot a Humanist
"Men of Quality do not fear Equality." | "Belief doesn't change facts. Facts, if you are reasonable, should change your beliefs."
"If it wears trousers generally I don't pay attention."
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Certainly, yes, there are good dictators. Dictators who lay down their power at the time proscribed by the democratic government.
George Washington is a good example, during the war he was - to all intents and purposes - a Dictator but after the war he lay down his power and sought election as President, and they lay down his power a second time.
Caesar, on the other hand, was a bad Dictator - he manipulated the State to gather more power than was necessary for the good of said State and to hold it for life. By manipulating the state in such a way he went from legally sanctioned Dictator to illegal Tyrant.
In an ideal world a "Good King" would be the best kind of ruler, but such a king holds power more than he, or she, uses it. Our current Queen is (mostly) a good example of this but she is not perfect and, as you note, this is not a perfect world.
An AI would be a terrible idea in my opinion though because - per definition - it would lack that most kingly quality - mercy.
If you elect me to be your ruler that would make me a King, not a Tyrant.
This discussion of Tyranny vs Dictatorship needs to be split off into a different thread.
"If it wears trousers generally I don't pay attention."
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I disagree. It actually depends on the programming or self-taught behaviour. The Artificial Intelligence would be able to calculate the instances and impact Mercy would have and be able to facilitate it more effectively. As Mercy as you describe it would led to positive net results within the population, such as raised moral and loyalty to the AI, factors which would be important.
Big Data AI is a real thing, and it has a multitude of potential and positive effects.The stock market for example is now virtually dominated/controlled by Artificial Intelligence. There are instances where NHS is now currently adopting DeepMind to assist as due to the vast amounts of patient information and data, it would flag up potential problems which may go unnoticed by even experienced staff.
However, you are correct in the sense that the steps taken are far more logical rather than emotional.Whilst concepts such as Mercy can be logically distilled, there is the potential with a 'human ruler' can be far more arbitrary in its decisions. But is this a good or bad thing?
I can foresee the use of Big Data AI being used by government to help inform decision making and policies.
Last edited by Beskar; 04-08-2017 at 23:54.
Days since the Apocalypse began
"We are living in space-age times but there's too many of us thinking with stone-age minds" | How to spot a Humanist
"Men of Quality do not fear Equality." | "Belief doesn't change facts. Facts, if you are reasonable, should change your beliefs."
"If it wears trousers generally I don't pay attention."
[IMG]https://img197.imageshack.us/img197/4917/logoromans23pd.jpg[/IMG]
The list of benevolent dictators is short...
lucius quinctius Cincinnatus, lee kwan yew, perhaps some of the other Romaoi.
"The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.” -- Milton Friedman
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -- H. L. Mencken
Thread hijack: a few years ago I read a paper on the subject of levels of state organization or orientation that included a level beyond the category of "failed state", the feral state. The feral state would be more or less one in which national governance no longer exists and while there is strong governance in a sense, it is either provided by (otherwise-)criminal organizations or 'sanctioned' economic corporations.
However, looking on Google and Google Scholar, I can't seem to find the relevant paper or any of its references, and searching for "feral state" the results are almost entirely about cats.
Pls help.
Vitiate Man.
History repeats the old conceits
The glib replies, the same defeats
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Is this it?
https://www.usnwc.edu/getattachment/...ichard-J-.aspx
got that after plugging in some stuff.
There, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford
My aim, then, was to whip the rebels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us. Fear is the beginning of wisdom.
I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation.
Cities
Vitiate Man.
History repeats the old conceits
The glib replies, the same defeats
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
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