So, there's this button.

If you push it, it will instantaneously and painlessly remove all human life from the earth, along with all of it's artifacts (from kewpie dolls to used nuclear fuel rods).

Would you push it?

This post was last modified: 11-29-2010 06:01 AM by aboniks.

id test it on dogs

Trust me, dogs would totally push the button.

It's the History Eraser Button you fool! - Ren & Stimpy

I thought this would be appropriate, lol

Eminently appropriate.    That's actually what got me started thinking about the question.

What?! Why? That would be stupid!

It's just a thought experiment, Callista.    I'm just curious to see how people react to the question.

this is all a dream anyway.........isnt it

The scary thing will be when Sarah Palin actually does get access to that button...

aboniks: Will the button restore environmental damage done by humanity? Will all crops that have been genetically engineered by humanity through selective breeding be returned to their original states? Will nuclear test sites, Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain irradiated?

Let's deconstruct the question logically. I believe a utilitarian viewpoint of human existence will be the most applicable philosophical theory, as we are dealing with the sum totality of humanity's existence.

Humanity's net goodness can be thought of as being the sum of everything good humans have accomplished, minus everything bad that humanity has accomplished. This value shall be called H. The sum of all good will be called G, and the sum of all bad will be called B. Specifically, B and G will be weighted by the importance of a particular accomplishment. The weight will be multiplied by the "happiness units" created by the accomplishment. (Curing cancer might be very good and very important, so the value for curing cancer will be a big number multiplied by a big number.) This is utilitarianism in a nutshell.

H = G - B

The button itself is a very simple device. If it reverses all environmental damage and all human effects on evolution, the button sets both G and B to 0. If it does, the question becomes: which H is greater? The H before humanity is destroyed, or the H after humanity is destroyed (which is 0)? In this sense, the question is, philosophically: Is there more good than bad in humanity's accomplishments?

Analysis without the reversal of environmental damage and genetic engineering is more complicated, but essentially the same. Two terms will be added to the original equation to represent that which will not be reversed, and H after humanity's destruction will not necessarily equal 0. I shall use EG and EB to represent environmental good and environmental bad. The equation then becomes:

H = (G - EG) - (B - EB) + EG - EB

After humanity's destruction, G - EG and B - EG cancel to 0. Analysis follows logically from the equation without environmental damage. The question is then: which H is greater, G - B or EG - EB? The question is then reframed in environmentalist philosophy: Which is greater, the net good of humanity or the net environmental impact of humanity?

By the way, I have not assumed the objective nature of good and evil. Because every individual who answers will be performing the analysis for himself/herself, the entire derivation will remain subjective.

The scientist part of me could not undo those millions of years of evolution like that.  Although, I hate humans 90% of the time.

I would consider those to be artifacts of humanity, yes.  All environmental modifications that are a result human activity would cease to exist.

Nice analysis, btw.

This post was last modified: 11-29-2010 08:17 PM by aboniks.

On the other side of the coin, humanity is currently in the process of extirpating lifeforms and ecosystems that have taken millions/billions of years to evolve.

Step one: push button.

Step two: die

Step three: ????

Step four: PROFIT

No, I don't feel like taking life into my hands, very reason I will never be a lawyer.  Too much resposibilty, what if I'm wrong, what if I'm right, did I lie....


I CAN'T HANDLE THE RESPONSIBLITY!!!!*Melts Into Puddle Of Goo*