Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: August 7, 2026, 8:32 am

Poll: Is internal manipulation of personal beliefs ethically acceptable?
This poll is closed.
YES! Send in the 'bots.
20.00%
1 20.00%
NO! It is a violation of personal autonomy.
60.00%
3 60.00%
Other: please explain in thread below.
20.00%
1 20.00%
Total 5 vote(s) 100%
* You voted for this item. [Show Results]

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Trolley problem: 2035 version
#9
RE: Trolley problem: 2035 version
(May 27, 2015 at 9:56 am)JuliaL Wrote: Hypothetical scenario:

Congratulations!  Your DARPA funded project is a complete success!
You have discovered and fully characterized two neural subnets in the Allen catalog of the human brain.
1) A sub-ganglion whose configuration and activity fully characterize and implement gender beliefs and behavior.
2) A network which implements unique religious faith.

Fellow researcher, "Bob" has developed nano scale robots which are able to manipulate neurons at the molecular level.  Applying these to the above networks gives a capability of fully determining future beliefs and behavior.  Correctly used, this process is fully controlled and without deleterious side effects (impossible, I know, but this is my hypothetical.)  For example:
1) You can fully convert homosexual desire and behavior to stereotypically heterosexual.
2) You can convert any true believer in any religious faith to any other or remove any religious bias whatsoever, leaving the person atheist.

Is it ethically acceptable to use the nanobots to make the above modifications?

In most cases, no.  But never say never.

Let's say in 2036, a Mars sized rouge planet is detected heading towards earth on a collision course.   It is vastly beyond human capacity to avert the big splat.   There is nowhere near that we can escape to.   It take essentially the wholehearted effort of the whole mankind to build a generation ship that might allow a small human seedling population to depart on a long trip to survive.   That's humanity's only chance.  But half the population would rather pray for salvation at end time. I would say send in the 
Nanobots.

BTW, there is an answer to a more classical trolley car problem in there somewhere.
Reply



Messages In This Thread
Trolley problem: 2035 version - by JuliaL - May 27, 2015 at 9:56 am
RE: Trolley problem: 2035 version - by pocaracas - May 27, 2015 at 10:40 am
RE: Trolley problem: 2035 version - by JuliaL - May 27, 2015 at 7:37 pm
RE: Trolley problem: 2035 version - by Jenny A - May 27, 2015 at 10:45 am
RE: Trolley problem: 2035 version - by Saxmoof - May 27, 2015 at 10:50 am
RE: Trolley problem: 2035 version - by bennyboy - May 27, 2015 at 10:51 am
RE: Trolley problem: 2035 version - by Jenny A - May 27, 2015 at 10:51 am
RE: Trolley problem: 2035 version - by Homeless Nutter - May 27, 2015 at 10:52 am
RE: Trolley problem: 2035 version - by Whateverist - May 27, 2015 at 10:56 am
RE: Trolley problem: 2035 version - by Anomalocaris - May 27, 2015 at 11:19 am
RE: Trolley problem: 2035 version - by Pyrrho - May 27, 2015 at 11:35 am
RE: Trolley problem: 2035 version - by ignoramus - May 27, 2015 at 9:00 pm

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Trolley Problem/Consistency in Ethics vulcanlogician 150 44723 January 30, 2018 at 11:01 pm
Last Post: bennyboy
  One sentence that throws the problem of evil out of the window. Mystic 473 138949 November 12, 2017 at 7:57 pm
Last Post: bennyboy
  Very short version of the long argument. Mystic 68 23532 September 18, 2017 at 9:38 am
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  My thoughts on the Hard problem of consciousness Won2blv 36 12347 February 15, 2017 at 7:27 am
Last Post: bennyboy
  #1 Thought experiment - "The Trolley Problem" ErGingerbreadMandude 108 30008 May 20, 2016 at 8:13 am
Last Post: Athene
  The Problem With Ayn Rand Mechaghostman2 9 4382 March 4, 2016 at 7:25 pm
Last Post: BrianSoddingBoru4
  William Craig's problem with actual infinities. Jehanne 11 4968 February 2, 2016 at 12:12 am
Last Post: GrandizerII
  The problem we are only beginning to reconcile Paraselene 1 1288 April 24, 2015 at 2:34 am
Last Post: Red Economist
  “The Problem of Evil” in atheism and in Islam Harris 157 60783 February 28, 2015 at 5:27 pm
Last Post: IATIA
  The problem of evil revisited. Mystic 40 12147 September 23, 2014 at 1:48 am
Last Post: CapnAwesome



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)