## For ### The rationalist Death is a bug not a feature Why anybody would want to die? [[Unnecessary suffering]] is something do be eradicated. Although for the gene pool optimizer death is a necessary good in order to [[Pruning|prune]] systems that are maladapted (see more below). What if we can get rid of this law of things becoming inefficient? >If you came from somewhere that no-one had ever even heard of [[Death 💀|death]], and I suggested to you that it would be an amazing wonderful great idea for people to get wrinkled and old and eventually cease to exist, why, you'd have me hauled right off to a lunatic asylum! So why would anyone possibly think any thought so silly as that death is a good thing? Because you're afraid of it, because you don't really want to die, and that thought hurts so much inside you that you have to rationalize it away, do something to numb the pain, so you won't have to think about it " ~ [[Eliezer Yudkowsky]] ## Against ### The gene pool optimizer Mortality can be seen as as a feature, not a bug, in the system of life. Some believe that death is important for the continuous adaptation and evolution of systems, whether they are physical, societal, or economic. "physics progresses one funeral at a time". If entities, such as people or corporations, were immortal, they would become stagnant and cease to adapt. This stagnation would lead to a lack of novelty and disruption, which are necessary for systems to remain malleable and adaptive. He believes that death creates space for youth and novelty to take its place, which is an essential part of every system in nature. However, extending our lifespan and the period of neuroplasticity is necessary, as the increasing complexity of the world requires a longer period of training and understanding. In summary, while there is value in extending our lifespan and cognitive abilities, immortality would hinder the continuous adaptation and evolution that is necessary for progress and growth. ### The religious "it's against nature" #death #longevity #immortality #transhumanism